Kevin O'Connell and the Minnesota Vikings are entering the 2025 NFL season looking to build on their success in 2024. Last season, the team finished the year with a 14-3 record and was one of the best teams in the league.
While the goals are high, the Vikings have some questions that need to be answered. Most notably, the team will need to figure out what exactly J.J. McCarthy can do.
After Sam Darnold chose to leave Minnesota in NFL free agency to join the Seattle Seahawks, the Vikings opted to move forward with McCarthy as their starter. Aaron Rodgers was a potential option, but the front office chose to pass on him.
McCarthy is facing a lot of pressure for Minnesota to be a serious contender this season. He has the talent to live up to the hype, but it's a lot to ask from a quarterback who has never taken a regular season NFL snap.
Read more:Vikings' Reason For Passing on Aaron Rodgers Revealed: Report
Keeping that in mind, a new prediction has been made for the Vikings that will anger the fan base.
Pro Football Network's Jacob Infante has revealed his playoff bracket prediction for the 2025 season. When it comes to Minnesota, he has the team missing the playoffs.
At No. 1 in the NFC, he has the Philadelphia Eagles. Behind them, he has the Detroit Lions at No. 2, the Los Angeles Rams at No. 3, the Atlanta Falcons at No. 4, the Washington Commanders at No. 5, the Green Bay Packers at No. 6, and the Arizona Cardinals at No. 7.
Having the Cardinals above the Vikings will not make fans in Minnesota happy. However, it's clear that McCarthy is not being valued very highly by Pro Football Network.
Read more:Packers Connected to Former Vikings Star To Replace Jaire Alexander
It's not a bad thing to head into the season as an underdog team. This should simply give the Vikings more motivation.
There are a lot of things the team will have to prove in 2025 in order to make the playoffs. It starts with McCarthy, but the rest of the team will need to show that it can perform at the same level it did in 2024 for a second straight year.
Regardless of the media doubt, Minnesota is loaded with talent. McCarthy has the potential to be great. There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the Vikings in 2025 and to think that they can make these predictions turn out to be inaccurate.
For more Minnesota Vikings and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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