CLEVELAND, Ohio — We have the 2025 Browns schedule, and now it’s time to look at what each of the teams they will play this season has changed ahead of the season.
I will provide these opponent breakdowns over the next several weeks leading up to the start of the season as we look at the biggest addition, subtraction, best draft pick and what they all mean for when they play the Browns.
Next up in our series is the team the Browns will meet in London in Week 5: the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings were the biggest surprise in the NFL last season, riding Sam Darnold’s magical year to a 14-3 record. But they lost their last two games, including a wild card blowout loss to the Rams, to end their season.
2025 will look very different for Minnesota because it’ll be J.J. McCarthy’s turn as the starting quarterback.
What did the Vikings do to help him as he enters his first season as a starter?
Here is a look at the Vikings offseason.
Check out links earlier posts in this series at the bottom of this post.
Biggest additions: IOL Will Fries and Ryan Kelly
This is admittedly a cop out here because I’m picking two players instead of only one. But the Vikings clearly sought to improve their interior offensive line, which is why I’m equating Fries and Kelly on an equal level despite what their contracts say.
Fries got a massive five-year deal worth $88 million, and Kelly followed him to Minnesota for two years at $18 million. Kelly is the more proven commodity with four Pro Bowls, and Fries, who only played five games in 2024 before suffering a season-ending fractured tibia, is a former seventh-round pick who started 31 games in four seasons with the Colts.
The combo of Fries and Kelly should help a Vikings team that really only struggled to run the ball. They were 19th in the NFL in rushing but 26th in yards per carry (4.1). In addition, Sam Darnold was sacked 48 times in 2024. Adding those two should help fix both issues for McCarthy.
Biggest subtraction: Darnold.
The former third overall pick in 2018 turned his career around in 2024 with a magical season in Minnesota, completing 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, all career highs.
Unfortunately for the Vikings, he played two of his worst games of the season in the two biggest games: a Week 18 blowout loss in Detroit and in the wild card loss to the Rams.
Darnold cashed in on his surprising season, signing a three-year deal with the Seahawks for $100.5 million. While there’s no guarantee that he was going to put up similar numbers in 2025, the Vikings are taking a risk with an unproven commodity at quarterback in McCarthy.
Best draft pick: OL Donovan Jackson
The theme of Minnesota’s offseason showed in its first-round pick by selecting the former Ohio State offensive lineman.
Jackson was already one of the top interior offensive linemen in this class. After the Buckeyes had two injuries at left tackle, Jackson moved into that spot and excelled.
But with Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill already established at tackle, Jackson will probably start his career at his natural guard spot.
What it means in their matchup with the Browns
As if the start to the 2025 season wasn’t tough enough for the Browns, they have to go from playing Detroit to crossing the Atlantic Ocean to meet the Vikings a week later. Minnesota deserves credit for not resting on its laurels after its surprise season.
In addition to what it did on the offensive line, Minnesota also added help on the defensive line, signing Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
However, it’s not hyperbole to say Minnesota’s season could rest on the shoulders of McCarthy, who lost his entire rookie season to a torn meniscus. He has the weapons around him to help, particularly with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
If the Browns can affect McCarthy and get the second-year quarterback off his game, they should at least be able to hang in the game. If McCarthy looks like the real deal and Minnesota’s defense plays up to its level from 2024, it could be a rough afternoon in London.
Catch up on the series
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