The 2025 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 65th in the National Football League (NFL), their 10th playing their home games at U.S. Bank Stadium, their 21st under the ownership of Zygi Wilf, their fourth under head coach Kevin O'Connell and their fourth and final under general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. The Vikings failed to improve on their 14–3 record from 2024 after a Week 7 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, and guaranteed a worse record the following week after losing to the Los Angeles Chargers. Weak offensive performance and a quarterback carousel led the team to a 4–8 start, their worst since they started 3–8–1 in 2013. They were eliminated from playoff contention after a Chicago Bears win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 15. However, the Vikings did rally to win their final five games to secure a winning record. For the first time since 2014, not a single Viking made the Pro Bowl games. On January 30, the Vikings announced that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had been fired from the team. Overall, rookie starting quarterback J. J. McCarthy had a poor season by throwing just 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and completed just 57.6% (140 for 243) of his passes to go with his 72.6 passer rating. He contributed 15 total touchdowns to 14 turnovers.
Offseason Futures contracts Position Player Date signed Source OT Trevor Reid January 9 NT Travis Bell January 15 CB Kahlef Hailassie OT Marcellus Johnson DB Reddy Stewart QB Brett Rypien RB Zavier Scott LB Max Tooley LB Gabriel Murphy G Henry Byrd OT Leroy Watson WR Lucky Jackson DE Jonathan Harris WR Thayer Thomas CB Ambry Thomas January 16 CB Nahshon Wright January 17 WR Jeshaun Jones
Free agents Position Player Free agencytag 2025 team Date signed Notes Source RB Cam Akers UFA New Orleans Saints June 13 1 year DE Jonathan Bullard UFA New Orleans Saints July 23 1 year, $1.4225 million S Camryn Bynum UFA Indianapolis Colts March 12 4 years, $60 million QB Sam Darnold UFA Seattle Seahawks March 13 3 years, $100.5 million G Dan Feeney UFA Buffalo Bills August 4 1 year CB Stephon Gilmore UFA CB Shaquill Griffin UFA Seattle Seahawks June 25 1 year, $3 million ILB Kamu Grugier-Hill UFA S Theo Jackson RFA Minnesota Vikings March 7 2 years, $12.65 million RB Aaron Jones UFA Minnesota Vikings March 11 2 years, $20 million QB Daniel Jones UFA Indianapolis Colts March 12 1 year, $14 million OLB Patrick Jones II UFA Carolina Panthers March 10 2 years, $20 million CB Fabian Moreau UFA San Francisco 49ers August 4 1 year, $1.255 million QB Nick Mullens UFA Jacksonville Jaguars March 12 2 years, $4.5 million TE Johnny Mundt UFA Jacksonville Jaguars March 12 2 years, $5.5 million CB Byron Murphy UFA Minnesota Vikings March 12 3 years, $54 million WR Brandon Powell UFA OT David Quessenberry UFA Los Angeles Rams May 29 1 year, $1.33 million DE Jalen Redmond ERFA Minnesota Vikings January 16 1 year, $960,000 G Dalton Risner UFA Cincinnati Bengals August 28 1 year, $1.3375 million OT Cam Robinson UFA Houston Texans March 25 1 year, $12 million WR Trent Sherfield UFA Denver Broncos March 13 2 years, $6 million DE Jerry Tillery UFA Kansas City Chiefs March 19 1 year, $1.79 million OLB Jihad Ward UFA Tennessee Titans July 24 1 year, $1.405 million P Ryan Wright RFA Minnesota Vikings March 11 1 year, $1.75 million
Signings Position Player Free agencytag Former team Date signed Notes Source S Bubba Bolden UFA Birmingham Stallions (UFL) March 10 1 year, $840,000 DE Jonathan Allen UFA Washington Commanders March 12 3 years, $51 million C Ryan Kelly UFA Indianapolis Colts March 12 2 years, $18 million G Will Fries UFA Indianapolis Colts March 13 5 years, $87.7 million DE Javon Hargrave UFA San Francisco 49ers March 13 2 years, $30 million CB Isaiah Rodgers UFA Philadelphia Eagles March 13 2 years, $11.045 million OT Justin Skule UFA Tampa Bay Buccaneers March 13 1 year, $2 million CB/ST Tavierre Thomas UFA Tampa Bay Buccaneers March 13 1 year, $2 million LB Eric Wilson UFA Green Bay Packers March 14 1 year, $2.6 million CB Jeff Okudah UFA Houston Texans March 18 1 year, $2.35 million WR Tim Jones UFA Jacksonville Jaguars March 18 1 year, $1.1 million WR Rondale Moore UFA Atlanta Falcons March 19 1 year, $2 million QB Carson Wentz UFA Kansas City Chiefs August 24 1 years, $1.4225 million
Releases Position Player New team Date released Source C Garrett Bradbury New England Patriots March 17
Extensions Position Player Date signed Notes Source S Harrison Smith March 12
Trades Position Player Team Date traded Notes Source G Ed Ingram Houston Texans March 13 MIN receives: 2026 sixth-round pickHOU receives: Ingram RB Jordan Mason San Francisco 49ers March 18 MIN receives: 2025 sixth-round pick, MasonSF receives: 2025 fifth-round pick, 2026 sixth-round pick QB Sam Howell Seattle Seahawks April 26 MIN receives: 2025 sixth-round pick, HowellSEA receives: 2025 fifth-round pick DT Harrison Phillips New York Jets August 21 MIN receives: 2026 sixth-round pick, 2027 sixth-round pickNYJ receives: 2027 seventh-round pick, Phillips QB Sam Howell Philadelphia Eagles August 24 MIN receives: 2026 fifth-round pick, 2027 seventh-round pickPHI receives: 2026 sixth-round pick, Howell CB Mekhi Blackmon Indianapolis Colts August 25 MIN receives: 2026 sixth-round pickIND receives: Blackmon WR Adam Thielen Carolina Panthers August 27 MIN receives: 2026 seventh-round pick, 2027 fifth-round pick, ThielenCAR receives: 2026 fifth-round pick, 2027 fourth-round pick
Draft Having been eliminated from the playoffs in the wild card round after a 14–3 regular season in 2024, the Vikings had the 24th pick in each round of the 2025 NFL draft. They were scheduled to go into the draft with four selections, their fewest since making five picks in 2009. As well as their original first-round pick, they were also awarded a third-round pick in compensation for the departure of QB Kirk Cousins during the 2024 offseason, and acquired an additional fifth-round pick in a trade that sent DE Za'Darius Smith to the Cleveland Browns; that same deal sent the Vikings' original sixth- and seventh-round picks to the Browns. Their original second-round pick was sent to the Houston Texans in order to acquire another first-round selection in 2024; that pick was then sent to the Jacksonville Jaguars in a package with their original third- and fourth-round selections in the 2025 draft in order to move up again and select OLB Dallas Turner. They also traded picks with the San Francisco 49ers in order to acquire RB Jordan Mason, giving up their original fifth-round selection and a 2026 sixth-round pick for a 2025 sixth-round selection. The Vikings had been expected to receive an additional seventh-round pick in a trade that sent G Jesse Davis to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022, but the conditions of the trade were not met and the pick remained with the Steelers.
+ 2025 Minnesota Vikings draft selections Round Selection Player Position College Notes 1 24 Donovan Jackson G Ohio State 2 56 Traded to the Houston Texans 3 88 Traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars 97 Traded to the Houston Texans Compensatory selection 102 Tai Felton WR Maryland 2020 Resolution JC-2A selection;From Lions via Jaguars and Texans 4 126 Traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars 5 139 Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins DT Georgia From Browns 142 Traded to the Seattle Seahawks From Jaguars via Texans 160 Traded to the San Francisco 49ers 172 Traded to the Los Angeles Rams From Seahawks 6 187 Traded to the Houston Texans From 49ers 200 Traded to the Cleveland Browns 201 Kobe King LB Penn State From Rams 202 Gavin Bartholomew TE Pittsburgh From Texans via Steelers, Bears and Rams 7 240 Traded to the Cleveland Browns
+ 2025 Minnesota Vikings undrafted free agents Name Position College Ref. Tyler Batty OLB BYU Silas Bolden WR Texas Max Brosmer QB Minnesota Logan Brown OT Kansas Chaz Chambliss OLB Georgia Oscar Chapman P Auburn Zeke Correll C NC State Dontae Fleming WR Tulane Keenan Garber CB Kansas State Matt Harmon OLB Kent State Joe Huber G Wisconsin Austin Keys LB Auburn Robert Lewis WR Auburn Vershon Lee C South Carolina Dorian Mausi LB Auburn Bryson Nesbit TE North Carolina Mishael Powell S Miami (FL) Myles Price WR Indiana Tre Stewart RB Jacksonville State Zemaiah Vaughn CB Utah Alex Williams DE Middle Tennessee Elijah Williams DE Morgan State Ben Yurosek TE Georgia
Draft trades
Staff
Final roster
Preseason Schedule The Vikings' preseason opponents and schedule were announced on May 14, in conjunction with the release of the regular season schedule.
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 Houston Texans W 20–10 1–0 U.S. Bank Stadium Recap 2 New England Patriots L 12–20 1–1 U.S. Bank Stadium Recap 3 at Tennessee Titans L 13–23 1–2 Nissan Stadium Recap
Game summaries Week 1: vs. Houston Texans
Week 2: vs. New England Patriots
Week 3: at Tennessee Titans
Regular season Schedule The Vikings played eight games at home and nine on the road in 2025. In addition to home and away matchups against each of their NFC North divisional rivals, they squared off against each of the teams in the NFC East and AFC North, as well as the teams that also finished in second place in each of the NFC South, NFC West and AFC West.
The NFL announced the International Series matchups for 2025 prior to the rest of the schedule on May 13. The Vikings were named as the road team for two of these games: against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Croke Park in Dublin in week 4, and the Cleveland Browns at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London in week 5. The next day, the NFL announced the Vikings would play in a Christmas Day game at home to the Detroit Lions; it was the Vikings' fifth Christmas Day game and their third at home. The remainder of the schedule was announced at 7:00 p.m. CDT on May 14, 2025.
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 at Chicago Bears W 27–24 1–0 Soldier Field Recap 2 September 14 Atlanta Falcons L 6–22 1–1 U.S. Bank Stadium Recap 3 September 21 Cincinnati Bengals W 48–10 2–1 U.S. Bank Stadium Recap 4 September 28 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 21–24 2–2 Croke Park Recap 5 October 5 at Cleveland Browns W 21–17 3–2 Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Recap 6Bye 7 October 19 Philadelphia Eagles L 22–28 3–3 U.S. Bank Stadium Recap 8 at Los Angeles Chargers L 10–37 3–4 SoFi Stadium Recap 9 November 2 at Detroit Lions W 27–24 4–4 Ford Field Recap 10 November 9 Baltimore Ravens L 19–27 4–5 U.S. Bank Stadium Recap 11 November 16 Chicago Bears L 17–19 4–6 U.S. Bank Stadium Recap 12 November 23 at Green Bay Packers L 6–23 4–7 Lambeau Field Recap 13 November 30 at Seattle Seahawks L 0–26 4–8 Lumen Field Recap 14 December 7 Washington Commanders W 31–0 5–8 U.S. Bank Stadium Recap 15 December 14 at Dallas Cowboys W 34–26 6–8 AT&T Stadium Recap 16 December 21 at New York Giants W 16–13 7–8 MetLife Stadium Recap 17 December 25 Detroit Lions W 23–10 8–8 U.S. Bank Stadium Recap 18 January 4 Green Bay Packers W 16–3 9–8 U.S. Bank Stadium Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries Week 1: at Chicago Bears
The Vikings opened up the season on the road against the division rival Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. The Vikings got off to a rocky start in J. J. McCarthy's NFL debut, trailing the Bears 17–6 by the end of the third quarter, which included a pick-six by former Viking Nahshon Wright. However, the Vikings came back and outscored the Bears 21–7 in the fourth quarter to win 27–24. This marked the Vikings' sixth consecutive win against the Bears at Soldier Field, the longest winning streak there in team history.