Vikings’ Week 1 Opponent Revealed

Nov 16, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings strong safety Harrison Smith (22) makes an interception on Chicago Bears quarterback Nick Foles (not pictured) during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports. The full Minnesota Vikings schedule will go public on Wednesday night, but in the meantime, onlookers have learned that the purple team will fetch Monday Night Football out of the gate in Week 1. The schedule is leaking fast, and Vikings fans now know that Minnesota plays Week 1 at the Chicago Bears — on Monday Night Football. With a rookie quarterback in J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota will travel to Soldier Field for a date with the Bears in Week 1 under the lights of primetime in September. It’s the Bears for the Vikings in Week 1 — on MNF Fox Sports‘ Jordan Schultz tweeted Wednesday, “Sources: The Bears will open their season at home on ESPN’s Monday Night Football against the Vikings, marking Ben Johnson’s debut as head coach. A primetime divisional matchup to close out Week 1.” Nov 24, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images. If the matchup feels odd, it’s because Minnesota hasn’t opened a season against Chicago in 23 years. The clubs last did Week 1 battle in 2002, a duel between Daunte Culpepper and Jim Miller, which the Bears won by a score of 27-23. A Tricky Matchup for J.J. McCarthy The McCarthy Era will get started at a house of horrors — sometimes — for the Vikings. Minnesota hasn’t encountered recent problems at Soldier Field, but habitual games at the venue are generally sloppy, weird, and not a good indicator of how good each team might be. McCarthy will also experience primetime football in his first-ever start, quite the assignment for a kind-of rookie passer. Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy addressed the media from the TCO Performance Center during 2024 Training Camp. July 26, 2024. The Vikings drafted McCarthy in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft with the 10th overall pick. He takes over for Kirk Cousins. It might help that McCarthy grew up 15 miles from Soldier Field in LaGrange Park, Illinois. The New-Look Bears Think you know the Bears? Not quite — not this rendition. Chicago finally canned head coach Matt Eberflus after a comical Thanksgiving game gaffe in 2024, and to remove the stink of that era, the Bears hired the highly sought-after offensive coordinator from the Detroit Lions, Ben Johnson. Jan 22, 2025; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson answers questions during a introductory press conference at PNC Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images. General manager Ryan Poles also drafted Luther Burden III last month and Michigan tight end Colston Loveland, McCarthy’s former teammate. Via free agency and trades, Chicago added guard Joe Thuney, center Drew Dalman, guard Jonah Jackson, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo. And that’s all in addition to expecting a second-year leap from the 2024 first overall pick, quarterback Caleb Williams. These aren’t your grandpa’s Bears. A Streak on the Line Minnesota has won five consecutive games at Soldier Field, reigning supreme in every contest since the start of 2020 with Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold at quarterback. Before that, Minnesota rarely won at the venue, tabulating a trashy 4-16 record from 2000 to 2019. McCarthy and friends will hope to run the streak to six on September 8th. Bears-Themed Media on the Contest BearsWire‘s Brendan Sugrue wrote about the newly-released matchup: “The Bears facing the Vikings on Monday Night Football is nothing new. This will be the seventh meeting between the two teams in that time slot since 2016. The timing is new, however. The last time the Bears faced the Vikings in Week 1 came during the 2000 season, and the last time they opened Week 1 on Monday Night Football was in 1997, according to The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain.” “All eyes will be on new Bears head coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams to close out the opening weekend. The former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator’s last regular season game came against the Vikings when his team had a decisive 31-9 victory to capture the NFC North title and home-field advantage throughout the postseason.” Minnesota is 6-3 (.666) in Week 1 games since the start of 2016. Nov 24, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota wide receiver Jalen Nailor (83) celebrates his receiving touchdown with wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) against the Chicago Bears during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images. Sugrue added, “Johnson is 5-1 against the Vikings over the last three years and will look to build on that success while the Vikings begin a new era of their own with JJ McCarthy taking over at quarterback.” “This is the third leaked matchup for the Bears ahead of their 2025 schedule release. Their other confirmed games include a Week 13 date against the Philadelphia Eagles on Black Friday and a Week 16 standalone matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. The entire Bears schedule will officially be revealed Wednesday night at 7 p.m. CT.” Minnesota and Chicago are both expected to win 8.5 games this season.