For the past 30 years, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and now Jordan Love have tormented the Minnesota Vikings. The Detroit Lions, once the laughingstock of the NFL for much of this century, have evolved into a perennial Super Bowl contender. Even the reliably lowly Chicago Bears, who took longer to get a franchise quarterback than a Pope, lead the division with an 8-3 record.
At 4-7, and as the Vikings unravel further, it’s easy to see that their inability to draft and develop young talent separates them from the rest of the division.
Not too long ago, the Vikings looked to be the new kings of the North. Kevin O’Connell brought in a fresh, new culture; Justin Jefferson was breaking every receiving record available; and top-to-bottom, Minnesota fielded one of the better rosters in the league.
There was a new hope that Vikings fans hadn’t felt for quite some time after two straight years of losing seasons under Mike Zimmer. And after multiple seasons with 13-plus wins since O’Connell’s arrival, fans had every reason to believe the Vikings were ready to launch themselves to the forefront of the league for the next decade.
Then it all came crashing down.
Despite A-plus cafeteria grades, a warm and cozy culture, and a head coach coming off a Coach of the Year award, the Vikings have a gloomy outlook for 2025 and potentially beyond due to their inability to develop.
It’s no secret that the last several drafts have produced limited starter-level players, and it’s finally caught up with Minnesota. Jalen Nailor is the lone player remaining from the current regime’s first draft, and the swings and misses have continued to stack up ever since. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s division counterparts are drafting and developing better than most other teams in the NFL.
Green Bay is the youngest team in the league for the third consecutive year. The news, apparently, hasn’t reached them yet, though. Despite their youth, they’ve achieved a 26-17-1 record since 2023.
The Packers have long been a franchise quarterback factory, and now start 12 players under 26 as the wins continue to mount. The Vikings have only three starters under 26, and none on defense, despite drafting 13 defensive players since Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first year in 2022. Green Bay has famously built through the draft, and after mastering that, ventured outside its comfort zone and brought in a player Vikings fans became very familiar with last weekend: Micah Parsons.
Meanwhile, despite having the fourth-oldest roster in the league, the Lions arguably drafted and developed better than any team in recent years. In the last few seasons, they’ve drafted Aidan Hutchinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Brian Branch, and Kerby Joseph, all still under the age of 25, and all with either an All-Pro recognition or a Pro Bowl appearance. And, in the least surprising reveal of the article, the Vikings have none who match that criteria. Pain.
In 2024, the Vikings and Bears swung for the fences in the first round of the NFL draft. Each made two selections, looking to establish two cornerstone pieces on which to build a foundation.
The Bears took quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze, both of whom have shown capable play and improvement in Year 2. While there’s no argument to be made which QB the Vikings would rather have, their second pick in that draft – Dallas Turner – still has a chance to become a good player. He’s coming off back-to-back games with a sack, which is encouraging. But after a season and a half, Turner is still second-string, and yet amazingly, is actually one of Minnesota’s drafting “success stories.”
Sunday’s season-ending loss to the Packers revealed a Vikings team crumbling in the present and unsure of the future. Despite heavy financial and draft commitment to compete in 2025, the Vikings look further than ever from reaching the top of the division. The 14-win 2024 season proved to be fool’s gold for Minnesota, after it led them to believe that now was the time to go all-in despite the obvious flaws on the roster.
So as the rest of the division ascends, it’s hard to see where the Vikings regain some footing over the next year or two. The Packers and Lions are minimum 10-win teams for the foreseeable future, barring major injuries, and even the Bears have found some juice under new coach Ben Johnson.
Maybe J.J. McCarthy turns things around, or even Max Brosmer shows some potential, but Minnesota’s problems run deeper than just at quarterback. And with key starters aging out or even retiring in the next year or two, there are plenty of reasons to be concerned with the state of the development.
Minnesota’s rapid fall from grace in 2025 highlights its biggest issue over the past few years and also suggests the dark days may be far from over.