The Vikings Will Win 10 Games in 2026

On Thursday night, the NFL turned its yearly schedule release into quite the spectacle. This has been the case for years now, and for whatever reason, fans absolutely eat it up. Regardless, the Minnesota Vikings now not only know their opponents, but when exactly they will play them.

The Schedule Gives Minnesota a Cleaner Path Back to the Playoffs

The season starts with a big matchup against the Green Bay Packers, and the NFC North Division stays at the forefront with a Week 2 game against the Chicago Bears. Minnesota will need to come correct out of the gate, and new quarterback Kyler Murray must immediately perform in purple.

A year ago, the Vikings missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record. Behind the 11-win Bears, the entire division was made up of 9-game winners. Green Bay got the wild card spot by having one of their games end in a tie rather than a loss; that’s how razor-thin the difference was.

This season, the Minnesota Vikings will improve by at least one game and win double digits.

Rather than going through games on an individual basis, it seems clear there are some very straightforward contests to suggest that Kevin O’Connell’s team will come out on top in. Division matchups are often split throughout a season, and the Vikings have bottom feeders in the form of Miami, New York (Jets), New Orleans, Atlanta, Carolina, and potentially Washington all on their schedule.

Murray and the Vikings will need to beat multiple difficult opponents. They have games against New England, Buffalo, and Tampa Bay this season. Each of them has shown an ability to win at a high level, and stealing some of those will be the difference between success and failure.

Last season, Minnesota ripped off nine wins despite having a bad and hurt J.J. McCarthy under center. They then turned to a mediocre and hurt Carson Wentz. It was a house of horrors for the bulk of the year, but coming out where they did was nothing short of a miracle.

This time around, the Vikings will be in a better spot, with a better quarterback and a schedule that will reward them if they can execute.

Ted Schwerzler is a Minneapolis based blogger that covers the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. Sharing thoughts constantly on Twitter, … More about Ted Schwerzler