The Vikings will wrap their season Sunday against Green Bay at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings have won four straight games, but it's a bittersweet streak to end what is ultimately a disappointing campaign for the Purple.
The big question for the Vikings, who are out of the playoff race, will surround quarterback J.J. McCarthy he be able to play? Head coach Kevin O'Connell is hopeful - but noncommittal.
"J.J. McCarthy is progressing, swelling in that hand has come down a little bit," O'Connell said Monday. "And really, it's just going to be about working through it this week and seeing what his grip strength is like, and if he can possibly give it a go this week. That will be something I'll keep you guys posted on."
And while the game itself is mostly meaningless for the Vikings who would only help or hurt their draft position with a win or loss, it is crucial for a team trying to figure out if their young QB is really the answer at the most important position in sports.
The Vikings needed to get McCarthy as much playing time as possible in 2025, especially after a stretch in the middle of the season where he really struggled. McCarthy played reasonably well in wins over Washington and Dallas, but a hairline fracture in his throwing hand late in the first half over a win over New York put him on the bench again. It was his third injury this year, a sprained ankle and concussion the other two, after losing his entire rookie season to knee surgery.
If McCarthy can't go Sunday, it's likely the Vikings would turn once more to undrafted rookie, and former Gopher, Max Brosmer. He has struggled to get the offense going, throwing four interceptions in his first start at Seattle, a 26-0 loss, and throwing for just 51 yards in the win over Detroit on Christmas Day.
Injuries to your quarterback are obviously a hinderance to a team's success in the NFL, but it's not the only place the Vikings are hurting. They have once more dealt with a shuffled offensive line with injuries to left tackle Christian Darrisaw, center Ryan Kelly, rookie left guard Donovan Jackson, and right tackle Brian O'Neil.
O'Connell provided a somewhat positive update on a few of those players ahead of the Packer game.
"I would put Brian O'Neil, TJ Hockenson, Jordan Mason, and Aaron Jones all kind of in the same category of progress as the week goes on," he said. "And see if we can have as many of those guys or all of them if possible."
Will the Vikings retain defensive coordinator Brian Flores?
The Vikings solid finish to the year, driven by a dominating defense, is creating some buzz once more around one of their top assistant coaches.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores is rumored to be a candidate for some head coach positions around the league, and even some rumors he would jump to another team in their defensive coordinator role.
Flores' defense has once again shown he is one of the better minds on that side of the ball in the league, and there could be some teams willing to take a shot on him as a head coach again.
Flores previously was head coach of the Miami Dolphins. O'Connell hired Flores in January 2023, a year after Flores sued the NFL and multiple teams. He alleged discrimination regarding his interview processes with the Denver Broncos and New York Giants, as well as with his firing from the Miami Dolphins.
In the lawsuit which a judge ruled this past April can go forward, Flores claimed he was a part of "sham" interviews to satisfy the Rooney Rule and biased arbitration processes. The suit claims the NFL's hiring practices are "rife with racism," failing to promote Black coaches fairly.
Viking coach Kevin O'Connell says they've already discussed a new contract for Flores to remain in Minnesota, and he doesn't expect him to leave for another position as a defensive coordinator. But O'Connell also voiced support if Flores gets an opportunity as a head coach.
"You know, I absolutely want Brian Flores to, to be the defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings as long as we can have him," said O'Connell. "You know, having gone through the process of the head coach hiring process before myself, you know, I imagine he's going to be a pretty popular guy there as well, and rightly so."
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Flores said he and his family "love Minnesota," and confirmed his representation was working with the team on a new contract.
Packers struggle to the finish line despite playoff berth
For the second straight year, the Green Bay Packers are heading in the wrong direction as the playoffs approach.
They’ll be staring at the likelihood of a second straight one-and-done postseason unless they shore up their run defense.
“Everybody has to acknowledge it and accept it and accept it for what it is, and then you’ve got to learn from it,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Sunday, a day after the Packers allowed Derrick Henry to rush for 216 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-24 loss to Baltimore. “We cannot put ourselves in that situation again. Otherwise, it’s going to be the same song and dance.”
Green Bay (9-6-1) has dropped three straight games and will be the NFC’s seventh and final playoff seed for a third straight season. Last year, the Packers lost their final two regular-season games, then were eliminated by the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round.
Now the Packers must figure out how to stop the run, something that hadn’t been a problem for much of the season. It’s become an issue since defensive linemen Micah Parsons and Devonte Wyatt were lost for the season to injuries.
It didn't get better for the Packers this past week either. Kamal Hadden (ankle), Nate Hobbs (knee), S Zayne Anderson (ankle) and DL Jordon Riley (Achilles tendon) and WR Dontayvion Wicks (concussion) all left Saturday’s game with injuries. RT Zach Tom (back/knee) and WR Savion Williams (foot) didn’t play.
LaFleur said Hadden and Riley will miss the rest of the season. With Green Bay locked into the No. 7 seed, LaFleur said he hadn’t yet decided on how or if he will play his starters.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.