Week 1 is here, and the Minnesota Vikings are stepping right into the spotlight.
On Sunday, September 13, the Vikings open their 2026 season against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium, and CBS has slotted it as its featured game of the week.
That means this one won’t just be another early-season division matchup. It’s getting the national stage, and Minnesota has a chance to make a loud first impression.
There’s plenty to watch before kickoff, starting with the quarterback who’s set to define this season. After the decision to go with J.J.
McCarthy as QB1 last year went badly, head coach Kevin O'Connell moved to add more experience, and the Vikings signed former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray in free agency this past March. The hope in Minnesota is that Murray can give the offense the kind of lift Sam Darnold provided in purple and gold in 2024.
And if there are still doubts about Murray as the starter, a win over the Packers in his first start for the franchise would go a long way toward quieting them.
Another major subplot is what happens off the edge. Minnesota traded veteran edge rusher Jonathan Greenard during this year's NFL Draft, a move that made it clear the team believes Dallas Turner is ready to step into a bigger role. Now entering his third year with the Vikings, Turner is being counted on for a breakout season, and Sunday offers an early chance to show why the team used a first-round pick on him in 2024.
Then there’s Harrison Smith, who rejoined the team on a new deal this past Saturday after months of uncertainty about whether he’d be back. The veteran safety is back in the building, and the big question now is how much he’ll actually play against Green Bay. If he stayed in shape over the summer, he could see a decent workload, but Minnesota may choose to ease him in.
The rushing game is another area worth tracking. All offseason, the Vikings have talked up a revamped run attack, and they’ve made moves to support that idea.
Minnesota brought in former Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith as assistant head coach, promoted Keith Carter to offensive line coach, and drafted fullback Max Bredeson in the fifth round. Those additions suggest the Vikings want to be more committed on the ground, though it still has to be seen whether O'Connell will actually lean into it or whether the talk was just offseason optimism.
The matchup itself also sets up well for Minnesota on paper. The Packers are expected to be without edge rusher Micah Parsons, and running back Josh Jacobs is unlikely to play because he is currently on the Commissioner's Exempt List. With a healthy roster of their own and Green Bay missing key pieces, this feels like a prime chance for the Vikings to start 2026 with a statement win.
Injury reports for both teams will begin to come out Wednesday, September 9.
For those tuning in, the game is set for Sunday, September 13 at 3:25 p.m. CST on CBS, with Jim Nantz on play-by-play, J.J. Watt as color analyst, and Tracy Wolfson on the sideline.
As for predictions, NFL Media’s panel is split down the middle. Colleen Wolfe, Grant Gordon, Bucky Brooks, Brandon Perna, Brooke Cersosimo, and Dan Parr are taking the Vikings, while Kevin Patra, Lance Zierlein, Tom Grossi, and Nick Shook are backing the Packers.
In Other News...
Vikings Face A Tough J.J. McCarthy Decision No One Expected
J.J. McCarthys standing in Minnesota has taken an unexpected turn, and the next move could be shaped as much by business as football. The Vikings are reportedly expected to seek playing-time conditions on any draft pick they receive in a potential trade involving the quarterback, a sign that the team would want any return tied to how much the next stop actually uses him.
McCarthy has already lost the starting job to Kyler Murray and is also dealing with an ankle injury, which has only fueled questions about where this goes from here. Kevin OConnell has said he wants to keep working with McCarthy, but there have also been rumors about a difference in how invested OConnell and former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah were in the quarterback, adding another layer to a decision the Vikings did not appear to expect this soon. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Lose Tight End Depth At Worst Possible Time
The Vikings trimmed and shifted the bottom of the roster as they settled into the early stretch of the 2026 season, placing tight end Ben Yurosek on injured reserve and releasing safety Kahlef Hailassie from the practice squad. Yuroseks absence is not expected to be long-term, but it still leaves Minnesota thinner at a spot that matters when teams start sorting out special teams roles, blocking packages and the backup plan behind the top of the depth chart.
For now, Minnesota will lean on its veteran pairing of T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver to handle the tight end load while it waits to see when Yurosek can return. The hope inside the building is that he can be back later in the season, but the timing is less than ideal for a team trying to keep its offense and supporting pieces steady right out of the gate. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings May Have Found Demond Claibornes Fastest Path To The Field
The Vikings didnt use a premium pick on Demond Claiborne, but they may have given him a clearer route to playing time anyway. Drafted in the sixth round, the rookie running back enters a crowded backfield behind veterans Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, so Minnesota has been looking for ways to make his speed matter right away. His preseason work has only strengthened the idea that he can help sooner rather than later.
Kick return duties could be the quickest way for Claiborne to get on the field, and that would fit the kind of multi-purpose value teams want from a late-round pick. The Vikings are still sorting out how he might fit into the offense as well, but special teams offers an immediate opening and a chance to turn his explosiveness into something more tangible while he waits for a bigger role in the backfield. [Read more 🡒]