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(Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)

The full 2026 NFL schedule will be released on May 14, but some details have already started to leak, with the Minnesota Vikings now knowing the dates for two of their games this season.

Minnesota already knows it is heading abroad, as it will play the San Francisco 49ers at Estadio Banorte in Mexico City during Week 11 on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. Moreover, it marks the Vikings’ first-ever game in Mexico.

After playing two international games last season, the Vikings don’t get a break and will at least be traveling south of the border rather than across the Atlantic Ocean.

Minnesota had a historic double-dip in 2025, becoming the first NFL team to play consecutive international games in different countries, falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Ireland and rallying past the Cleveland Browns in the United Kingdom.

Furthermore, on May 13, the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling reported, citing a source, that the Vikings will close the 2026 season with an NFC North rivalry game against the Chicago Bears.

“The Vikings will close the regular season at home against the Bears, per source,” Goessling wrote on X. “They did it five times from 2016-21, but haven’t closed at home against Chicago since Mike Zimmer’s final game as head coach.”

As a result, it will be interesting to see if this game has any division implications, given that both teams are looking to be playoff contenders this upcoming season.

Vikings Need to Go With Best QB for 2026 Season

The question surrounding the Vikings will be who emerges as the team’s starting QB. That’s the biggest question surrounding the team. Nonetheless, for former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber, it doesn’t matter who starts; the team’s main goal is to help whoever wins the job win the NFC North and go on a deep playoff run.

“I don’t think you can really go wrong either way; I think there’s going to be some shock and awe from people who can’t believe it [if McCarthy wins the job],” Leber said on a May 11 appearance on KFAN. “I’m sure some will think there’s politics behind it, but I honestly believe it’s all business.

“I don’t think they’re trying to placate anyone or make a political decision. I think they simply want to create as much competition as possible at every position, and quarterback is no exception. May the best man win.”

Minnesota Needs to Make the Playoffs This Upcoming Season

Moreover, Leber believes this upcoming season isn’t a rebuild or a see-where-it-goes campaign. The Vikings have a team that’s ready to win now, which is why this QB battle is so huge, because Minnesota can’t miss out on the playoffs again due to their play under center.

“There’s too much riding on the season; there’s too much talent on this team. This is not a rebuilding year where you say, ‘Oh, we’re just going to get cute, win a few games and be competitive.’ There’s no reason why we can’t compete to win this division. None at all… This is not just a wasted year. This is a year where, ‘Let’s go for it.'”