Detroit Lakes, MN (KDLM)-
The Minnesota Vikings open their 2025 season tonight at Soldier Field, where second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy will finally make his NFL debut against the Chicago Bears, the team he grew up rooting for in the Chicago area.
McCarthy told reporters his first memory of Soldier Field dates back to when he was just four years old, watching from the stands with his father as the Vikings played the Bears. Now, more than a decade later, he’ll take the field wearing purple and gold against his childhood team.
Selected 10th overall in the 2024 draft out of Michigan, the young quarterback’s debut was delayed an entire year due to a knee injury that required surgery and sidelined him for his entire rookie season.
Despite handing the keys to their offense to an unproven commodity, the Vikings enter the season with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. The team boasts several Pro Bowl players across its roster and comes off an impressive 14-3 campaign under head coach Kevin O’Connell in 2024. That record was good enough for a second-place finish in what proved to be a highly competitive NFC North division.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. on ABC and ESPN.
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