Vikings Foe’s Looming Problem Can Only Help Minnesota

The Minnesota Vikings are into the preseason, and the excitement is at a fever pitch. The team is welcoming back starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy, following his season out with an injury. McCarthy performed well during the team’s first preseason game, so some of those initial worries about how he would look in a NFL setting are starting to get put to rest.

Looking at the NFC North and the Minnesota Vikings’ key rivals, it’s always interesting to see what other teams are experiencing during the offseason. It’s not just for fun, either, because studying a team’s moves can help during the season, when you’re going up against the team.

It’s never a good thing when a player gets injured, but it’s just the nature of the NFL to understand that another team’s injuries can benefit their rivals. So, even though it’s never positive news to see a player injured, it does help the other teams in that division. With that in mind, one of the Minnesota Vikings’ biggest rivals is dealing with some early injury issues. Again, it’s sad to see players injured, but on the flip side, this particular injury does help the Vikings.

Minnesota Vikings NFC North Rival Dealing With Injuries

Injuries are a reality with any team in the NFL. The Vikings, of course, had a big injury with McCarthy last season.

GettyJordan Love of the Green Bay Packers on the field.

 

Now, the Green Bay Packers are dealing with multiple injuries. One is with Nate Hobbs, who has a knee injury, and the other is to franchise quarterback Jordon Love, who has a hand injury. That’s the big one, since the team is relying on Love to lead them this season.

According to the Packers, Love will have surgery to help repair a damaged ligament in his hand, but he’s expected to only be out a week. Still, whenever surgery is involved, one can’t help but wonder if that player will be out for longer.

Love is expected to be back and ready for action by Week 1 to go up against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. They don’t play the Vikings until November, so Love should be fully healthy by then. But, having your franchise quarterback have to get surgery right before the season begins is never a good thing. The Packers are seen as one of the strongest teams in the NFC North, so if they keep piling up injuries early, it will change the dynamic of the division.

NFL Power Rankings for 2025

Ralph Vacchiano at Fox Sports has released his 2025 NFL power rankings, and even though it’s early, it’s interesting to see his early impression of the league. In his piece, which was published on Monday, July 28, Vacchiano says that these are early power rankings that that things could change a lot before the first NFL snap takes place.

“The summer could change a lot, especially when the preseason games (and the injuries) begin,” he states in the piece. “But for now, here’s our preseason look at how the league is ranked from bottom to top after free agency and the draft, and now that every NFL team has officially opened camp.”

So, what about the Minnesota Vikings? He has them at No. 15 on the tally. That’s pretty good, but we think it could be higher.

“They are asking a lot of quarterback J.J. McCarthy to come off the rookie season he lost to injury and follow up Sam Darnold’s Minnesota Miracle,” he notes.

Let’s hope these power rankings change for the better when the season actually kicks off.