Lindsey Young

The Vikings 2026 schedule was released Thursday.

Minnesota is of course scheduled to play six contests against division rivals Chicago, Detroit and Green Bay. The Vikings are slated to open the 2026 season at home against Green Bay marking just the third time in the Border Battle's history for the Vikings to host the Packers in Week 1.

The Vikings areheaded to Mexico City Week 11to play the 49ers, who will be considered the "home" team in the matchup. The game slated for NBC's Sunday Night Football will mark Minnesota's seventh international game and first in Mexico.

The Vikings will host Buffalo on the Monday Night Football stage in Week 9, and in Week 14 they'll visit New England for Thursday Night Football.

The 2026 slate of games promises plenty of top-level competition. Intriguing matchups between the Vikings and their non-division foes include the following:

Week 3 at Buccaneers | OLB Andrew Van Ginkel vs. QB Baker Mayfield

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Mayfield has been successful running the read-option play.

Van Ginkel has established himself as a top defender against the read option.

Color us intrigued.

This NFC matchup promises to be an exciting one between two vets who have garnered ample respect around the league. Mayfield will need to account for Van Ginkel, who despite missing time due to injury last season still recorded 7.0 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 13 QB hits and 10 passes defensed.

In his third season with the Bucs, Mayfield was 343-of-543 passing for 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His passer rating was 90.6. Mayfield's stats actually were down a tad from his first two campaigns in Tampa Bay, in which both times he surpassed 4,000 passing yards.

Week 4 vs. Dolphins | Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell vs. Dolphins Head Coach Jeff Hafley

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Hafley and O'Connell are plenty familiar with one another, but this game marks the first time they'll face each other as head coaches.

They first overlapped on the Browns coaching staff in 2015, where O'Connell coached QBs and Hafley the defensive backs. They both joined the 49ers the next season, and Hafley held the same position while O'Connell oversaw special projects.

The two reunited eight seasons later in the NFC North, O'Connell at the helm in Minnesota and Hafley serving as the Packers defensive coordinator from 2024-25.

Miami hired Hafley in January as the 12th head coach in franchise history.

Week 5 at Saints | CBs Isaiah Rodgers & Byron Murphy, Jr. vs. WRs Chris Olave & Jordyn Tyson

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Minnesota's leading corners will have a fun challenge when heading to "The Big Easy" to take on New Orleans and its talented receiving corps.

Murphy is entering his fourth season in Purple after signing an extension last spring, and Rodgers is looking forward to his second Vikings campaign after joining the team as a free agent in 2025.

The Saints last season recorded the fifth most receptions (397) in the NFL and ranked 10th with 236.9 receiving yards per game. They were led by WR Chris Olave, who racked up a career-high 100 catches, 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns, and TE Juwan Johnson (77 catches for 889 yards and three TDs).

New Orleans in April added Tyson, whom they drafted No. 8 overall. The former Arizona State standout brings "versatility and finishing talent" to an already well-respected group of pass catchers.

Week 7 vs. Colts | Vikings DL vs. Quinton Nelson and Co.

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Nelson turned 30 two months ago, but his game hasn't shown any signs of decline.

The three-time First-Team All-Pro was ranked theNo. 4 overall guardduring the 2025 season, per analytics site Pro Football Focus, and Indianapolis' best player on its offensive line. Nelson started every game at left guard and received a PFF grade of 84.5; he helped the Colts score 27 rushing touchdowns good enough for second in the NFL and he allowed just one sack.

The Colts OL as a unit ranked second best in the league behind Denver last season.

Minnesota's defensive line will have a new look in 2026, having moved on from veterans Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave and drafted youngsters Caleb Banks (Round 1) and Domonique Orange (Round 3). Along with the return of Jalen Redmond and Levi Drake Rodriguez, who both took strides last season, the Vikings defensive line is an intriguing position group to keep an eye on.

Minnesota has ample power up front, and the group will face likely its toughest challenge against Nelson and his linemates.

Week 9 vs. Bills | Vikings LBs vs. RB James Cook & Rush Threat from QB Josh Allen

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If you've ever seen photos of James Cook and his older brother Dalvin, who played for the Vikings from 2017-22, you'll notice a striking resemblance. Watch James on the field, and the similarity there is also undeniable.

Drafted in 2022 by Buffalo, the younger Cook has already surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in three of his first four seasons; last year, he led the NFL with 1,621 rushing yards and scored 12 touchdowns on the ground.

Expect a fun matchup between Cook and Minnesota's linebackers, led by Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson, as the Vikings work to slow a Bills rushing attack that led the league in 2025. Buffalo averaged 159.6 rushing yards per game last season, thanks to Cook and also to QB Josh Allen, who's a threat in the passing game but also poses plenty of threat with his legs. Allen averaged 34.1 rushing yards per game last season and can use that capability to expand passing windows.

Vikings LBs? Do your thing.

Week 11 at 49ers | RB Jordan Mason vs. LB Fred Warner

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Mason and Warner will have a reunion in the Bay Area.

Mason played three seasons for the 49ers before being traded to Minnesota last spring. He overlapped with veteran linebacker Warner all three seasons.

It's likely the former teammates practiced together in San Francisco, and now they'll face each other in the real deal.

Mason posted a solid first campaign in Purple, logging 159 carries for 758 yards and a career-high six touchdowns. He'll look to get through Warner, who played only six games last season before suffering a season-ending ankle injury sidelining him for more than a single game for the first time since being drafted in 2018.

Despite the significant injury, Warner is currently considered "fully healthy" and ready to go for the 2026 season. He'll be complemented by veteran LB Dre Greenlaw, who started his career with the Niners (2019-24) and rejoined them in March after one season with Denver.

Week 12 vs. Falcons | S Joshua Metellus vs. TE Kyle Pitts

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The Vikings will face a challenge in the form of a unicorn when they play Atlanta.

Well, not a real unicorn with a rainbow mane and iridescent, twisted horn but rather the Falcons tight end, who's frequently compared to the fantasy creature due to his rare combo of size (he's listed at 6-foot-6) and speed (he ran a 4.4 40-yard dash). Pitts last season recorded 88 catches for 928 yards and five touchdowns though Minnesota has held limited him to nine catches for 107 yards in three games.

Metellus is a unique specimen himself, playing multiple roles on Minnesota's defense and earning "Swiss Army knife" monikers from some. In last year's contest, he tackled Pitts twice after gains of 8 and 3 yards, and he also defended a pass thrown the tight end's way by Michael Penix, Jr.

Metellus will look to help lock down Pitts once again.

Week 13 vs. Panthers | WRs Justin Jefferson & Jordan Addison vs. CBs Jaycee Horn & Mike Jackson

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Carolina has some ball-hawking defenders on its roster but the Vikings have some impressive wideouts on theirs. Who will come out on top in Week 13.

Jefferson and Addison will need to be on their Ps & Qs in prepping for the Panthers secondary. Horn tied for second in the league last season with five interceptions, while Jackson tied for No. 1 in passes defensed with 19 and added a career-high four picks.

A fifth-round draft pick, Jackson has started all 17 games in each of his two seasons with Carolina. The Panthers drafted Horn No. 8 overall in 2021, and he's played a significant role in their defense when healthy.

Jefferson and Addison could be key to Minnesota's clash with Carolina.

Week 14 at Patriots | Vikings DC Brian Flores vs. Patriots OC Josh McDaniels

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Familiar coaching faces will have the chance to duel it out in New England.

Flores and McDaniels overlapped with the Patriots during the 2008 season (Flores special teams assistant; McDaniels offensive coordinator and QBs coach) and then again from 2012-18, during which McDaniels held the same position and Flores oversaw safeties and then linebackers.

Now in their respective positions as offensive and defensive coordinators, McDaniels and Flores will coach against each other in those roles for the first time in a regular season.

Flores returns for his fourth season in Minnesota, while McDaniels rejoined the Patriots in 2025 for his third stint with the team.

With McDaniels running an offense led by 2025 MVP Drake Maye and Flores primed with additional defensive pieces, this AFC-NFC matchup could be an incredible chess match.

Week 16 vs. Commanders | OLB Dallas Turner vs. QB Jayden Daniels

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Former college rivals Turner and Daniels will face each other for the second time on an NFL stage after crossing paths last season when the Vikings shut out the Commanders 31-0.

The edge rusher and quarterback first played against each other in 2022, when Alabama (Turner) and LSU (Daniels) battled it out in a November game that went into overtime before LSU pulled off a 32-31 win. Daniels passed for two touchdowns that day and was sacked by Turner one-and-a-half times.

LSU and Alabama met again in 2023, and this time it was Turner and the Crimson Tide who rolled to a 42-28 victory over Daniels' Tigers.

Daniels and Turner were drafted No. 2 and No. 17 overall the next year by Washington and Minnesota, respectively.

In last season's game against the Commanders, Turner played 27 defensive snaps and logged two tackles. The Vikings limited Daniels to 9-of-20 passing for just 78 yards and an interception with a passer rating of 35.0.

With Turner expected to have a larger role on defense this year (following the trade of Jonathan Greenard), it will be interesting to see if he finds his way to another takedown of Daniels this time at the pro level.

Week 17 at Jets | Ts Christian Darrisaw & Brian O'Neill vs. EDGEs David Bailey & Will McDonald IV

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Stop us if we've mentioned this before: the Vikings have some stalwarts at the tackle spots.

O'Neill continues to prove a force to be reckoned with at the right tackle spot. And if Darrisaw can string together multiple healthy games this season (he missed seven complete games and was limited in others while continuing to rehab a 2024 knee injury), he'll be tough for any opposing pass rusher.

The Jets may not have put up flashy stats last season, but they have a skilled edge in Will McDonald IV and in April added former Texas Tech Star David Bailey with the No. 2 overall pick.

Last season, McDonald recorded 8.0 sacks; he also logged a career-high 30 tackles and had 19 QB hits. NFL.com's Kevin Patra wrote the following of Bailey:

A twitched-up athlete, Bailey blasts to the quarterback with jet-fueled propulsion. An explosive first step allows him to play behind the line of scrimmage, and long strides quickly negate blockers' cushion. Winning the first step off the snap is his superpower, and he flies off the edge with ferocity and bad intentions. The quick get-off allows him to get linemen off balance, and he can use a rip move to create a clear path to the quarterback.

Bailey hasn't before played against NFL tackles, though, and he'll have his hands full with the likes of Darrisaw and O'Neill.

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