The Chicago Bears know any hopes of reaching the playoffs start with conquering the NFC North. That is something they failed to do in 2024, going 1-5 against the division. All three of their rivals ended up making the playoffs, and all three ended up winning at least 13 games. One of them was the Minnesota Vikings. There is no reason to suspect that the team is in a situation that should have people worried. However, one league insider believes looks are deceiving.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk appeared on KFAN1000, a Minnesota sports radio station. There, he dropped two notable bombshells. First was the belief that if the Vikings look to retain quarterback Sam Darnold, their 1st round pick from last year, J.J. McCarthy, will demand a trade. The other is a growing belief that nobody knows who is calling the shots in the Vikings building.
The Chicago Bears could take advantage of this.
Minnesota rode a wild wave last season, headlined by Darnold's remarkable career renaissance. However, that situation is done. The Vikings are in a tough spot. If they keep Darnold, it immediately creates friction with the player they had earmarked as the QB of the future. They would either have to trade him, likely for less than they spent to draft him, or risk creating locker room issues by keeping him. On the other hand, they could let Darnold walk and go with McCarthy, but he has never started a game in the NFL. That could mean Minnesota takes a step back. Combine this with growing questions about their leadership structure, and it sounds like the Chicago Bears have a great opportunity to take them down a peg or two this season.
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