Vikings Will Indeed Make Historic International Trip in 2025
The rumors have been out there for a few weeks, but they have been confirmed now. Kevin O’Connell’s Minnesota Vikings will head to Europe for not just one but two international games, and they will take place in two different countries in consecutive weeks.
Vikings Will Indeed Make Historic International Trip in 2025
The NFL announced most of its international games on Tuesday morning, and the Vikings are slated for two of them.
Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling tweeted, “The Vikings’ international schedule for 2025 is set: they’ll play in Dublin against the Steelers on Sept. 28, before returning to London to face the Browns on Oct. 5. They’ll be the first team to play in two different countries outside the U.S. in back-to-back weeks. It will be their fifth trip to London, and third in four years.”
Owner and President Mark Wilf is quoted on the team’s website: “Our experiences in London have always been memorable, so to return in 2025 as the first team to play in back-to-back international games in different countries was something we could not pass up. UK fans have a history of showing up and embracing the Minnesota Vikings, creating what often feels like a homefield environment, and we are hopeful that is what we see again in 2025.”
That trip brings some advantages and some disadvantages. Fans from the Rust Belt who wanted to attend the games in Cleveland and Pittsburgh can’t be too happy about this, considering the Vikings only play there once every eight years.
On the flip side, European fans and Americans who missed out on the last trips in London now get another chance. From a football perspective, playing the Steelers and Browns in neutral sites instead of their home stadiums is not a bad outcome. The Vikings will suddenly have eight home games, seven on the road, and two on neutral ground.
In addition to that, playing a second game overseas should give the Vikings an advantage because they will already be acclimated to the time zone and avoid the long trip across the Atlantic, and just have to make the voyage from Dublin to London.
Vikings at Steelers in Dublin
It will be the first NFL game in Dublin, Ireland. The event will take place in Croke Park, Ireland’s largest sports arena, with a capacity of 82,300.
Minnesota is leading the all-time series against Pittsburgh 10-9, including, of course, Super Bowl IX, one of Minnesota’s four losses in the big game.
Pittsburgh is coming off another playoff season that ended with a quick bounce. Mike Tomlin, a former Vikings coach, has not won a postseason contest since January of 2017, with six straight losses.
The Steelers still have a mystery at quarterback. Aaron Rodgers has been connected to both the Vikings and the Steelers, but he remains a free agent. At this point, Mason Rudolph would compete with Brian Flores’ defense. The Steelers could be the final chance for Kirk Cousins to start games in 2025.
Vikings at Brown in London
London has been a good spot for the Vikings, who have played there four times in the last 12 years, coming out victorious each time. O’Connell has already defeated the Saints and Jets overseas.
Ironically, the Vikings faced the Browns in 2017 in London and the Steelers in 2013.
Cleveland is in another eventful offseason. They are still trying to recover from the Deshaun Watson disaster. He is likely out for the season, but Shedeur Sanders isn’t. The shiny rookie was drafted in the fifth round and has a chance to compete, but Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel also want the job.