The Minnesota Vikings will be shorthanded in their season opener against the Chicago Bears on Monday night with wide receiver Jordan Addison absent via a league suspension, though the Bears could be missing a key member of their defense as well.
Chicago has not yet announced whether Pro-Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson will play in Week 1 after sustaining a moderate groin strain in late July. He returned to practice earlier this week, and while his status remains in jeopardy two days out from the game, Johnson is talking like a man who is confident in both his likelihood of taking the field and how well he will play once he does.
Johnson recently discussed squaring off against wide receiver Justin Jefferson and picking off second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy in his first-ever NFL start with ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.
“I’m more enticed to go against [Jefferson] than the quarterback, per se,” Johnson said. “But hopefully there are some passes that are left inside for me to be able to intercept on certain coverages or whatever the case may be. We’re looking forward to disrupting [McCarthy] a lot.”
Jaylon Johnson Will Make It More Dangerous for J.J. McCarthy to Target Justin Jefferson in First Career Start
GettyChicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
Johnson’s presence in the secondary would undoubtedly prove a huge boon for the Bears defense, as it faces what was one of the most potent offenses in the league in 2024.
The big difference, of course, is McCarthy will start instead of Sam Darnold. The latter left for a $100.5 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency, which Minnesota was content enough to allow. The Vikings stated publicly that they preferred Darnold return, though that was never likely to happen as Minnesota didn’t intend to pay him nine figures or guarantee him the starting job — even on the heels of a Pro-Bowl season defined by more than 4,300 yards passing and 35 TDs.
The Vikings brass clearly believes in McCarthy after also allowing Daniel Jones, who will start Week 1 for the Indianapolis Colts, to depart in free agency. But McCarthy remains a relative unknown, in some ways even to his own teammates and coaching staff, as he has never played a meaningful down of NFL football.
As such, a savvy cornerback in Johnson known for explosive playmaking and shadowing Jefferson — far and away Minnesota’s most dangerous option in the pass game — could lead to one big play that turns the tide.
Vikings Will Probably Keep Things Simple for J.J. McCarthy Against Bears in Week 1
GettyTight end T.J. Hockenson of the Minnesota Vikings.
That said, the Vikings will likely run more 12 personnel with tight ends T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver playing together, and look to work the short and intermediate portions of the field to help McCarthy adjust, move the chains and avoid mistakes.
Minnesota should also be able to run the football with relative effectiveness via the duo of Aaron Jones and new addition Jordan Mason. Both inked two-year contracts with the Vikings this offseason and will provide interesting changes of pace that should challenge the Bears’ defensive front behind a revamped offensive line in Minnesota that will see two new starters at guard and a new starter at center in 2025.
The Vikings’ offense will also operate at something of a disadvantage, with Addison out for the first three games of the year due to a suspension for his violation of the league’s code of conduct policy. Partly in response to Addison’s absence, Minnesota traded with the Carolina Panthers to bring back longtime Vikings wideout and hometown favorite Adam Thielen.
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