The Minnesota Vikings come into the 2024 NFL season with a new-look offense and in arguably the toughest division in the entire league as well. Let's preview what the Vikings will look like come September.
The biggest story of the Vikings offseason was the quarterback position after losing their franchise quarterback, Kirk Cousins. Cousins was at the end of his contract and elected to sign a four-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency. This forced the Vikings to trade up in the draft and select JJ McCarthy from the University of Michigan to potentially be their next franchise quarterback.
But there is some drama over whether it will be his name called as the starter on Week 1. The Vikings also signed Sam Darnold to their quarterback room. Darnold and McCarthy will be actively competing for the starting position all summer and it will be interesting to see if Kevin O'Connell puts McCarthy right out there, or eases him into NFL action.
The Vikings upgraded at running back as well after signing longtime division rival, Aaron Jones, to man the running back position. Minnesota also took care of business after locking down superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson for the next four years. On paper, if the Vikings can generate success out of either Darnold or McCarthy, this offense could be dangerous in 2024.
Minnesota upgraded slightly on the defensive end of the football in the offseason as well. Having multiple first-round picks paid off for them as they were able to snag Dallas Turner later in the first round. The signings of Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel certainly have gone under the radar, but will be key to the success of this defense. Both of them made their presence felt on their previous teams.
After a pretty solid offseason and a good coaching staff to support this team, the Vikings will still have an uphill climb this season because of their division surrounding them. Every team in the NFC North collectively got better and the inexperience of the quarterback position for the Vikings is what separates them from the rest.
The NFC North consisting of the Lions, Packers, Bears, and Vikings. may be the most intriguing division in the NFL to follow this season. There is not one bad team in this division and unfortunately only seven teams from the NFC can make the playoffs, even though all four of these teams have playoff potential.
I am looking forward to seeing if the Vikings can surpass the expectations that they are met with currently as finishing last in the NFC North. The biggest questions needing to be answered is will JJ McCarthy succeed at the professional level? Will it be Darnold or McCarthy starting Week 1? September can't come soon enough for Minnesota.
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