2024 Vikings Schedule Projected to Be One of the Toughest in the NFL

Dec 31, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) looks on before the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 NFL regular season is still months away.

As a result, there could be plenty of factors that change the way teams look between now and September (including the NFL Draft, which begins one week from today). However, Pro Football Network has decided to take a look ahead and rank each of the 32 NFL teams’ schedules from easiest to hardest.

Unfortunately for the Minnesota Vikings, their schedule is projecting to be one of the tougher slates in the entire league.

Vikings Schedule Projection Is Bleak

NCAA Football: Michigan at Minnesota
Oct 7, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah looks on from the sidelines before the game between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Michigan Wolverines at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

We do not know the order of how the games will be played in 2024 yet, but we do know the exact teams that the Vikings will face off against this fall, and which teams they will face either at U.S. Bank Stadium or on the road.

Here are the Vikings’ home games for 2024:

  • Arizona Cardinals
  • Atlanta Falcons
  • Chicago Bears
  • Detroit Lions
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Houston Texans
  • Indianapolis Colts
  • New York Jets
  • San Francisco 49ers

And their road games:

  • Chicago Bears
  • Detroit Lions
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Los Angeles Rams
  • New York Giants
  • Seattle Seahawks
  • Tennessee Titans

Add it all up, and PFN projects the Vikings to have the eighth-toughest schedule in the NFL as well as the second-toughest in the NFC. The only NFC team with a tougher schedule by PFN’s projections is the San Francisco 49ers.

Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell looks on during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Robinson wrote the following of Minnesota’s task ahead of them in 2024: “Minnesota is still biding its time before trading up for a rookie quarterback, but GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has admitted a move is coming. Watching that first-year signal-caller throw to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison while facing Caleb Williams and Jordan Love twice should be beyond fun.”

Of course, the end result in Minnesota could very well depend on how well that rookie passer (or Sam Darnold if you want to believe will be the starter) performs this season. The Vikings have games against seven playoff teams from last season and a total of 10 games against teams that finished 9-8 or better.

The Vikings themselves missed out on the playoffs after going 7-10. A number of reasons contributed to their six-win drop off from 2022, including injuries to both Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson.

Vikings Schedule
Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) celebrates his touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Of course, Cousins is no longer around to lead the offense, so the Vikings will be relying on a brand new starting quarterback this season. There is a decent chance that we find out who Minnesota’s QB of the future will be one week from today when the 2024 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 25th.


Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via NFL.com

Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.