Minnesota Vikings open 2021 season at Bengals, get Seahawks for home opener
Running back Dalvin Cook #33 of the Minnesota Vikings and teammates celebrate a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 08, 2019 in Minneapolis. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS - The schedule is out and official for the Minnesota Vikings and the 2021 regular season.
The Vikings will be on the road Week 1, facing the Cincinnati Bengals as Justin Jefferson gets to reunite with former LSU teammates Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. It's the Vikings first road game to open a regular season since 2016.
The Vikings are on the road for the first two weeks before hosting the Seattle Seahawks Week 3 at U.S. Bank Stadium. That should also mark the first game fans can be back after most stadiums were empty last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vikings officials said Wednesday night it's their goal to have U.S. Bank Stadium full for the Week 3 home opener against Russell Wilson and the Seahawks.
The Vikings will play a 17-game regular season, with the extra game coming Week 10 at the L.A. Chargers. It's the first expansion of the NFL regular season schedule since 1978.
Their first NFC North Division game doesn’t come until Week 5, when they host the Detroit Lions. The Vikings will make at least four national TV appearances, including two on Sunday Night Football. They host the Cowboys Week 8 on Halloween night, and travel to the Packers Week 17.
In Week 4, the Vikings host the Cleveland Browns as Mike Zimmer will reunite with former offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski, who led the Browns to the AFC Playoffs last year in his first season as a head coach.
The Vikings will host the Steelers Week 14 for their lone Thursday Night Football appearance. The following week, they travel to the Bears for Monday Night Football.
The Vikings have nine of their 17 kickoffs at noon, and you can catch 12 of the 17 games on Fox 9.
The Vikings will also host the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts in the NFL preseason, and travel to face the Kansas City Chiefs. All three preseason games will air on Fox 9.
Here's a week-by-week look at the Vikings' 2021 schedule.
Sept. 12 – at Bengals (Noon, Fox 9)
Week 2 – at Cardinals (3:05 p.m., Fox 9)
Week 3 – SEAHAWKS (3:25, Fox 9)
Week 4 – BROWNS (NOON, CBS)
Week 5 – LIONS (NOON, Fox 9)
Week 6 – at Panthers (Noon, Fox 9)
Week 7 – BYE
Week 8 – COWBOYS (SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, NBC)
Week 9 – at Ravens (Noon, Fox 9)
Week 10 – at Chargers (3:05 p.m., Fox 9)
Week 11 – PACKERS (NOON, Fox 9)
Week 12 – at 49ers (3:25, Fox 9)
Week 13 – at Lions (Noon, CBS)
Week 14 – STEELERS (THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, Fox 9)
Week 15 – at Bears (MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, ESPN)
Week 16 – L.A. RAMS (NOON, Fox 9)
Week 17 – at Packers (SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, NBC)
Week 18 - BEARS (NOON, Fox 9)