Key stats that defined the Vikings’ 2025 season: Injuries, turnovers and more

The Vikings closed their 2025 season on a five-game win streak that started after they dropped to 4-8 with a shutout loss to their former quarterback Sam Darnold and the Seahawks on Nov. 30.

They ended the season 9-8 after beating the Packers 16-3 on Jan. 4 at U.S. Bank Stadium, having been eliminated from playoff contention in Week 15 before their win over the Cowboys.

It was an up-and-down year, and the numbers reflect that. Here are five that define the Vikings’ season.

The Vikings had 1,209 fewer passing yards this season than last season behind Sam Darnold. They started three quarterbacks throughout the season, two of them being first-time pro starters in J.J. McCarthy and undrafted rookie Max Brosmer.

They finished just seven games with over 200 passing yards, and four were started by veteran Carson Wentz during his five-game stretch playing for McCarthy.

That stretch was only the beginning of McCarthy’s injury woes for the year, as he also missed a game with a concussion and one due to a hairline fracture in his hand. He made 10 starts in his first season leading the offense, and left the 10th with what appeared to be an aggravation of his hand injury.

“Our pass game was not to our standard that we had set the previous three years,” coach Kevin O’Connell said Jan. 2. “And we’ve got to do things, starting with me, to evaluate that and whether it’s schematically or whatever it may be to improve going into 2026.”

The Vikings played 10 offensive linemen in more than 20 combinations throughout the season as four starters faced various injuries throughout the year.

The interior of the unit was overhauled in the offseason. The starting line was set with the return of left tackle Christian Darrisaw from injury, the additions of rookie left guard Donovan Jackson, center Ryan Kelly and right guard Will Fries and the retention of right tackle Brian O’Neill.

In the end, only Fries appeared in every game.

Blake Brandel was the unit’s multi-tool MVP, playing center, tackle and guard at various points of the season. Justin Skule, Michael Jurgens, Walter Rouse and Joe Huber also saw time because of injuries to starters.

None of the Vikings’ O-line combinations played more than 250 snaps together entering Week 18, according to Next Gen Stats.

The offensive line had the most injuries of any unit, but 15 Vikings starters missed time with injury throughout the season.

Several spent time on injured reserve, missing at least four games: Linebacker Blake Cashman (Weeks 2-5), running back Aaron Jones Sr. (Weeks 3-6), center Ryan Kelly (Weeks 5-11, 17-18), outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard (Weeks 16-18) and safety Josh Metellus (Weeks 16-18) and left tackle Christian Darrisaw (Weeks 16-18).

The list doesn’t include players like veteran fullback C.J. Ham, who started the season on injured reserve, or Wentz, who had season-ending shoulder surgery following Week 8.

There were also players, like McCarthy, who missed multiple games at a time without being moved to injured reserve.

The Vikings lost the turnover battle in 10 games this season. They lost seven of those games.

As the Vikings offense struggled throughout the first two thirds of the season with heavy turnovers, their defense couldn’t find the turnover production they wowed the league with in 2024 with 31.

Through Week 13, the Vikings defense had forced only 11 turnovers, while its offense gave up 26.

In the final five weeks of the season, both sides stepped up: The offense gave up the ball only four times, while the defense finally saw turnovers snowball to 10 with big games against the Commanders and Lions.

For the season, with one lost fumble by Brosmer on Jan. 4, the Vikings finished with 30 giveaways to 21 takeaways.

While the Vikings’ season featured two losses of over 20 points — against the Chargers and Seahawks — four of their games were decided by eight or fewer points.

The Vikings’ loss to the Bears in their second meeting of the season Nov. 16 stands out now because a win would have drastically changed what Minnesota had to play for come Week 18: A chance to win the NFC North.

The Vikings held a one-point lead in that matchup following a Jordan Addison touchdown with 56 seconds to go in the game, but a mistake in kick return coverage allowed for a 56-yard return by Devin Duvernay.

Four snaps later, without even converting a first down, Bears kicker Cairo Santos cleared a 48-yard field goal to win the game.

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