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Wide receiver Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings have an interesting start to the 2026 NFL season, to say the absolute least.
Their first two games will be NFC North divisional matchups. Their home opener is Week 1, where they host the Green Bay Packers. They will then hit the road and head south to Chicago to take on the Chicago Bears.
Throughout the rest of September, Minnesota will get a good sampling of Florida football. In Week 3, Minnesota travels to Tampa Bay for a date with the Buccaneers. They’ll return to home base in Week 4 to host the Miami Dolphins. In Week 5, a trip to New Orleans is in store.
Recently, the Vikings got a blunt take on how they’ll fare in the first 5 games of action.
GettyHead coach Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings looks on during the second half in the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on October 15, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report recently predicted a ‘mild’ start to the Vikings’ 2026 NFL season.
“The key to the start of the Kyler Murray era (He’s starting at quarterback. You know it. I know it.) will be surviving the first couple games of the season—NFC North tilts at home against the Packers and at the division champion Chicago Bears. Get past that, and the road gets exponentially easier—the Vikings are at Tampa, at home against the woeful Dolphins and at New Orleans.
A 3-2 record when the bye arrives is a reasonable expectation.”
Davenport may have hit the nail on the head here. 3-2 feels reasonable, and anything else would feel like a major disappointment. Obviously, everyone is going to prefer a 5-0 start. Still, 4-1 and 3-2 would be alright in most Vikings fans’ eyes.
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 08: Will Reichard #16 of the Minnesota Vikings high fives Andrew DePaola #42 after kicking a field goal against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on September 08, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Adam Fromal of TheVikingAge recently put together a compelling piece regarding the Vikings’ schedule and what it means for Will Reichard.
“…I was able to use the aforementioned factors to give every single game on the NFL calendar a composite weather score, ranging from pristine dome conditions to the brutal Week 15 primetime matchup between the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium.
Minnesota’s report card looks, in a word, incredible:
2026 could be a major year for “Will The Thrill”.
Brevan Bane Brevan Bane is a sports scribe covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals. Brevan began his writing career by making a platform on Twitter and leveraging his presence into writing and content creation opportunities for outlets like PurplePTSD, Vikings Territory, The Noise, Hockey Wilderness, and the VikesNow YouTube channel. You can follow him on X @brevmanbane. More about Brevan Bane
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