Vikings at Bears Week 1: Pete Bercich previews from Chicago
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Vikings open the 2025 regular season against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football at Soldier Field.
When both teams took the field for pregame warm-ups, they had the victims of the Aug. 27 mass shooting at Annunciation Church and School on their minds. Players and staff for both teams took the field wearing shirts to honor Annunciation.
Annunciation shirts
The backstory:
On the front, the white T-shirt says, "Annunciation" in honor of the school. On the back, the shirts say, "Be Kind. Be Respectful. Be Inclusive. Be My Best Self. Be Brave."
It’s not uncommon for players to wear special shirts or shoes to honor a cause before NFL games. This is the latest example.
The Aug. 27 shooting during an all-school mass killed two students, and left 21 other people total, including 18 other students. At least one student remains hospitalized.
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell talked about the shootings at a news conference when the team announced its initial 53-man roster. O'Connell has four kids, two of which are the same age as the two that were shot and killed.
Funeral for Fletcher Merkel
What we know:
On Sunday, family and friends of Fletcher Merkel gathered at Mount Olivet Church in Minneapolis to remember the boy, one of two students killed in shooting.
J.J. McCarthy's debut, Harrison Smith out
Monday night marks the NFL debut for Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who missed all of last season with a knee injury. Harrison Smith will not play, and did not travel with the team due to a personal health issue.
Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw is inactive for Monday night's game, still in the final stages of working his way back from a torn ACL last season. Max Brosmer is the emergency No. 3 quarterback. That means if McCarthy gets hurt or has to come out, Carson Wentz is the No. 2 quarterback.
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