Former Minnesota Vikings tight finish Stu Voigt publicizes the crew’s third-round choice on the NFL Draft, with Apr. 25, 2025 at Lambeau Area in Inexperienced Bay, Wisconsin capturing the on-stage second as followers reacted to the No. 102 choose through the second evening of draft festivities. Obligatory Credit score: Tork Mason-USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
I all the time qualify my schedule evaluation by quoting Corridor of Fame Coach Bud Grant, who mentioned, “It’s not so much who you play but when you play them.” That means accidents, climate, a crew’s momentum, and different components will decide how robust a sport turns into.
The Payments could also be a juggernaut when the Vikings host them on Monday evening, November 9. Or Josh Allen may very well be out injured and Buffalo struggling by then, whereas Jayden Daniels and the Commanders may very well be rolling and again to their 2024 closing 4 type in Week 16.
And the Vikings may very well be taking part in in a windy snowstorm on their late-season go to to New England for a tough short-week Thursday evening sport on December 10 towards the defending AFC champs. And it may very well be extraordinarily chilly and windy on the Meadowlands on January 3 towards the Jets (which I skilled a number of instances on journeys to play the Jets or Giants).
Diamond Breaks Down a Busy Week for Minnesota
What we positively know is the 2 opening video games — residence vs. Inexperienced Bay on September 13 and at Chicago on September 20 — are key early divisional exams for a Vikings crew that can probably be breaking in Kyler Murray because the beginning quarterback and plenty of rookie draftees, equivalent to first-round DT Caleb Banks (if he’s wholesome). The Packers are prone to face Murray in his first Vikings begin, however the Vikings will hope game-wrecking defender Micah Parsons will not be but again from his torn ACL suffered final December.
Nov 23, 2025; Inexperienced Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Inexperienced Bay Packers defensive finish Micah Parsons (1) celebrates the victory over the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Area. Obligatory Credit score: Kayla Wolf-Imagn Photographs
I feel the Vikings want to separate these two video games at the very least, then get on a roll over the following 4 video games (at Tampa Bay, residence vs. Miami, at New Orleans, and residential vs. Indianapolis).
Then comes a difficult four-game stretch that features street video games towards division foes Detroit and Inexperienced Bay, the house Monday nighter towards Buffalo, and the Mexico Metropolis sport towards the 49ers. That can be three 2025 playoff groups plus the Lions (who ought to return to the playoffs with their fourth-place schedule, one of many league’s best based mostly on final season’s information).
If the Vikings can get by the primary 10 video games at .500 or higher, they’ll have a superb opportunity to complete with between 10 and 12 wins. If it’s 10 wins, they need to earn a wildcard spot. And in what’s anticipated to be a carefully contested NFC North, I feel 12 victories will win the division (the Bears received it final yr at 11-6 when all 4 groups had successful information).
The Vikings’ schedule definitely seems to not be as tough as final yr’s, contemplating it’s a third-place schedule vs. a second-place schedule in 2025 and that they’re crossing over to face the seemingly weaker NFC South and AFC East in comparison with final season towards the AFC North and NFC East (once more with the proviso that some groups not anticipated to contend all the time do and vice versa).
It’s a light shock however enjoyable for the crew and fan base that regardless of lacking the playoffs final season, the Vikings nonetheless landed 4 prime-time video games — Monday November 9 vs. Buffalo, Sunday November 22 vs. San Francisco in Mexico Metropolis, Thursday December 10 at New England and Sunday December 20 vs. Detroit (so long as that sport isn’t flexed to a day sport if the league feels there’s a extra enticing Week 15 sport).
There’s additionally a good likelihood the regular-season finale at residence towards the Bears may very well be for the division title, wherein case the sport may very well be flexed to Sunday evening.
I’ll make my season predictions in early September after I see how the crew is coming collectively in coaching camp, particularly through the joint practices with the Baltimore Ravens, which the Vikings will host on August 19-20 earlier than their preseason sport at U.S. Financial institution Stadium on August 22.
On 2028 NFL Draft in Minnesota
It’s a pleasant coup for Minnesota and the Twin Cities to be voted on by NFL homeowners to host the 2028 NFL Draft. It’s wonderful to see how the draft has became an nearly Tremendous Bowl-like spectacle for a metropolis to host, as we’ve seen in recent times in locations equivalent to Pittsburgh (over 800,000 folks in attendance this yr), Inexperienced Bay, Detroit, and Nashville.
Apr 25, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Dallas Turner poses after being chosen by the Minnesota Vikings because the No. 17 choose within the first spherical of the 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza. Obligatory Credit score: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports activities.
It’s so completely different from my years working within the NFL, when all drafts occurred in New Yo,rk and there was far much less media protection and fan curiosity.
I just like the plan of the Minnesota Sports activities and Occasions (MSE) group in collaboration with the Vikings to have the primary stage round U.S. Financial institution Stadium and produce other draft-related occasions throughout the Twin Cities, together with the chances of the Mall of America (which hosted actions throughout Tremendous Bowl LII in 2018) and the Vikings Lakes growth the place the Vikings facility is positioned in Eagan.
This can be one other nice alternative to showcase Minnesota and the Twin Cities in a optimistic gentle, particularly in distinction to extremely publicized unfavourable occasions, equivalent to George Floyd and its aftermath, and the current ICE surge. We do should hope for good late-April climate for the native people and the hundreds of holiday makers attending outside draft occasions.
Kudos to Vikings homeowners Zygi and Mark Wilf, the crew’s employees, and MSE for his or her work on the bid and for being awarded the 2028 draft, which is able to create great financial impression for the state and Metro space.
Farewell Tour for Aaron Rodgers
The egomaniac QB has returned to the Steelers on a one-year deal price as much as $25 million with incentives. He’ll reunite with new Pittsburgh coach and Rodgers’ former Packers coach Mike McCarthy.
Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) leaves the sphere following an AFC Wild Card Spherical loss to the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium. Obligatory Credit score: Barry Reeger-Imagn Photographs
The 42-year-old Rodgers instructed the media this can be his closing NFL season. I’ve had greater than sufficient of his off-field antics (darkness retreats, stringing groups out earlier than signing, and many others.), and I say good riddance to Rodgers after this season.
Jeff Diamond is a former Vikings GM, former Tennessee Titans President and was chosen NFL Government of the 12 months … Extra about Jeff Diamond
