The
2020 season was the
Minnesota Vikings' 60th in the
National Football League (NFL), their fifth playing home games at
U.S. Bank Stadium and their seventh under
head coachMike Zimmer. This was the Vikings' first time since
2005 that long-time assistant
Kevin Stefanski was not part of the Vikings coaching staff, as he left to become the new head coach of the
Cleveland Browns on January 12, 2020. After going 1–5 in their first six games for the first time since
2013, the team failed to improve upon their 10–6 record from
2019 after a Week 11 loss to the
Dallas Cowboys and failed to match their 10–6 record after a Week 14 loss to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Vikings were eliminated from playoff contention following a week 16 loss to the
New Orleans Saints, and ultimately finished 7–9, their first losing season since
2014. The Vikings conceded 475 points during the season, the third-highest total in franchise history, although they also managed to score 430 points, also the third-most in team history.[1]
The Vikings had a total of 15 selections in the
2020 NFL Draft, a record number since the draft moved to a seven-round format in 1994.[31] Although they had lost their original fifth-round pick to the
Baltimore Ravens in the trade for kicker/punter
Kaare Vedvik prior to the 2019 season and their seventh-round pick in the trade that sent wide receiver
Stefon Diggs to the
Buffalo Bills earlier in the 2020 offseason, the Diggs trade gave the Vikings extra picks in the first, fifth and sixth rounds. They also had an extra pick in the seventh round after trading guard
Danny Isidora to the
Miami Dolphins at the start of the 2019 season, as well as one compensatory pick in the third round and two in the seventh as a result of free agency losses in 2019.
After taking
Louisiana State wide receiver
Justin Jefferson 22nd overall with the first-round pick they acquired from the Bills,[32] the Vikings traded their original first-round pick (25th overall) to the
San Francisco 49ers in exchange for the 31st overall pick, as well as selections in the fourth and fifth rounds;[33] with the 31st overall pick, the Vikings took
Texas Christian cornerback
Jeff Gladney.[34] The Vikings used their second-round pick on
Boise State offensive tackle
Ezra Cleveland,[35] then took
Mississippi State cornerback
Cameron Dantzler in the third round,[36] before trading their third-round compensatory pick to the
New Orleans Saints for the Saints' remaining picks in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds.[37]
In the fourth round, the Vikings used the picks they acquired from the 49ers and Saints to select
South Carolina defensive end
D. J. Wonnum and
Baylor defensive tackle
James Lynch, before taking
Oregon linebacker
Troy Dye with their original fourth-round pick.[38] The Vikings traded the fifth-round pick they acquired from the Bills to the
Chicago Bears for a fourth-round pick in the
2021 draft, before using their remaining fifth-round selections on
Temple Owls cornerback
Harrison Hand and
Miami wide receiver
K. J. Osborn.[39] In the sixth round, the Vikings traded the other pick they acquired from the Bills – along with the seventh-round selection they got from the Dolphins – to the Ravens for another seventh-round pick and a fifth-round pick in 2021 before taking
Oregon State offensive tackle
Blake Brandel and
Michigan safety
Josh Metellus.[40] The Vikings then had four remaining picks in the seventh round, which they used on
Michigan State Spartans defensive end
Kenny Willekes,
Iowa quarterback
Nate Stanley, Mississippi State safety
Brian Cole II and
Washburn guard
Kyle Hinton.[41]
^
abcdThe Vikings traded a seventh-round selection (239th overall) and WR
Stefon Diggs to the
Buffalo Bills in exchange for Buffalo's first-, fifth- and sixth-round selections (22nd, 155th and 201st overall) and 2021 fourth-round selection.[43]
^
abcdThe Vikings traded a first-round selection (25th overall) to the
San Francisco 49ers in exchange for San Francisco's first-, fourth- and fifth-round selections (31st, 117th and 176th overall).[44]
^
abcdeThe Vikings traded a third-round selection (105th overall) to the
New Orleans Saints in exchange for New Orleans' fourth-, fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-round selection (130th, 169th, 203rd, and 244th overall).[44]
^The Vikings traded a fifth-round selection (155th overall) to the
Chicago Bears in exchange for Chicago's fourth-round selection in
2021.[44]
^
abcThe Vikings traded a sixth- and seventh-round selection (201st and 219th overall) to the
Baltimore Ravens in exchange for Baltimore's seventh-round selection (225th overall) as well as their fifth-round selection in
2021.[44]
MIN – Adam Thielen – 6 receptions, 110 yards, 2 TD
This was the Vikings' first loss in their season opener since 2015. The 43 points scored by the Packers was the most the Vikings had conceded in a season opener in franchise history.[52] Wide receiver
Adam Thielen scored two touchdowns for the first time since Week 5 of the 2019 season against the
New York Giants.[53]
Week 2: at Indianapolis Colts
Week 2: Minnesota Vikings at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
This loss dropped the Vikings to 0–2 for the first time since
2013. Quarterback
Kirk Cousins was intercepted three times on 26 pass attempts that included just 11 completions for 113 yards; he ended up with a passer rating of 15.9.
Week 3: vs. Tennessee Titans
Week 3: Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
With the loss, Minnesota was eliminated from the playoffs, clinching their first losing season since 2014 and only the second under head coach Mike Zimmer.
Week 17: at Detroit Lions
Week 17: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary
^
abNew Orleans finished ahead of Seattle based on conference record.
^
abChicago finished and clinched the 7th and final playoff spot ahead of Arizona based on better win percentage in common games (against Detroit, the NY Giants, Carolina, and the LA Rams, Chicago finished 3–2, while Arizona finished 1–4).
^
abSan Francisco finished ahead of the NY Giants based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Dallas (see below).
^
abNY Giants won tiebreaker over Dallas based on division record.
^
abCarolina finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.
Two Vikings players—running back
Dalvin Cook and rookie wide receiver
Justin Jefferson—were selected for the
2021 Pro Bowl,[56] the team's lowest contribution to the event since
2014, when they had no Pro Bowlers. Cook received the most votes among NFC running backs to go to his second Pro Bowl (after his rookie season in
2017),[57] and only
Russell Wilson received more votes out of any position in the NFC team, while Jefferson was the Vikings' first rookie wide receiver to be selected since
Percy Harvin in
2009.[58]
The
2020 season was the
Minnesota Vikings' 60th in the
National Football League (NFL), their fifth playing home games at
U.S. Bank Stadium and their seventh under
head coachMike Zimmer. This was the Vikings' first time since
2005 that long-time assistant
Kevin Stefanski was not part of the Vikings coaching staff, as he left to become the new head coach of the
Cleveland Browns on January 12, 2020. After going 1–5 in their first six games for the first time since
2013, the team failed to improve upon their 10–6 record from
2019 after a Week 11 loss to the
Dallas Cowboys and failed to match their 10–6 record after a Week 14 loss to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Vikings were eliminated from playoff contention following a week 16 loss to the
New Orleans Saints, and ultimately finished 7–9, their first losing season since
2014. The Vikings conceded 475 points during the season, the third-highest total in franchise history, although they also managed to score 430 points, also the third-most in team history.[1]
The Vikings had a total of 15 selections in the
2020 NFL Draft, a record number since the draft moved to a seven-round format in 1994.[31] Although they had lost their original fifth-round pick to the
Baltimore Ravens in the trade for kicker/punter
Kaare Vedvik prior to the 2019 season and their seventh-round pick in the trade that sent wide receiver
Stefon Diggs to the
Buffalo Bills earlier in the 2020 offseason, the Diggs trade gave the Vikings extra picks in the first, fifth and sixth rounds. They also had an extra pick in the seventh round after trading guard
Danny Isidora to the
Miami Dolphins at the start of the 2019 season, as well as one compensatory pick in the third round and two in the seventh as a result of free agency losses in 2019.
After taking
Louisiana State wide receiver
Justin Jefferson 22nd overall with the first-round pick they acquired from the Bills,[32] the Vikings traded their original first-round pick (25th overall) to the
San Francisco 49ers in exchange for the 31st overall pick, as well as selections in the fourth and fifth rounds;[33] with the 31st overall pick, the Vikings took
Texas Christian cornerback
Jeff Gladney.[34] The Vikings used their second-round pick on
Boise State offensive tackle
Ezra Cleveland,[35] then took
Mississippi State cornerback
Cameron Dantzler in the third round,[36] before trading their third-round compensatory pick to the
New Orleans Saints for the Saints' remaining picks in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds.[37]
In the fourth round, the Vikings used the picks they acquired from the 49ers and Saints to select
South Carolina defensive end
D. J. Wonnum and
Baylor defensive tackle
James Lynch, before taking
Oregon linebacker
Troy Dye with their original fourth-round pick.[38] The Vikings traded the fifth-round pick they acquired from the Bills to the
Chicago Bears for a fourth-round pick in the
2021 draft, before using their remaining fifth-round selections on
Temple Owls cornerback
Harrison Hand and
Miami wide receiver
K. J. Osborn.[39] In the sixth round, the Vikings traded the other pick they acquired from the Bills – along with the seventh-round selection they got from the Dolphins – to the Ravens for another seventh-round pick and a fifth-round pick in 2021 before taking
Oregon State offensive tackle
Blake Brandel and
Michigan safety
Josh Metellus.[40] The Vikings then had four remaining picks in the seventh round, which they used on
Michigan State Spartans defensive end
Kenny Willekes,
Iowa quarterback
Nate Stanley, Mississippi State safety
Brian Cole II and
Washburn guard
Kyle Hinton.[41]
^
abcdThe Vikings traded a seventh-round selection (239th overall) and WR
Stefon Diggs to the
Buffalo Bills in exchange for Buffalo's first-, fifth- and sixth-round selections (22nd, 155th and 201st overall) and 2021 fourth-round selection.[43]
^
abcdThe Vikings traded a first-round selection (25th overall) to the
San Francisco 49ers in exchange for San Francisco's first-, fourth- and fifth-round selections (31st, 117th and 176th overall).[44]
^
abcdeThe Vikings traded a third-round selection (105th overall) to the
New Orleans Saints in exchange for New Orleans' fourth-, fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-round selection (130th, 169th, 203rd, and 244th overall).[44]
^The Vikings traded a fifth-round selection (155th overall) to the
Chicago Bears in exchange for Chicago's fourth-round selection in
2021.[44]
^
abcThe Vikings traded a sixth- and seventh-round selection (201st and 219th overall) to the
Baltimore Ravens in exchange for Baltimore's seventh-round selection (225th overall) as well as their fifth-round selection in
2021.[44]
MIN – Adam Thielen – 6 receptions, 110 yards, 2 TD
This was the Vikings' first loss in their season opener since 2015. The 43 points scored by the Packers was the most the Vikings had conceded in a season opener in franchise history.[52] Wide receiver
Adam Thielen scored two touchdowns for the first time since Week 5 of the 2019 season against the
New York Giants.[53]
Week 2: at Indianapolis Colts
Week 2: Minnesota Vikings at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
This loss dropped the Vikings to 0–2 for the first time since
2013. Quarterback
Kirk Cousins was intercepted three times on 26 pass attempts that included just 11 completions for 113 yards; he ended up with a passer rating of 15.9.
Week 3: vs. Tennessee Titans
Week 3: Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
With the loss, Minnesota was eliminated from the playoffs, clinching their first losing season since 2014 and only the second under head coach Mike Zimmer.
Week 17: at Detroit Lions
Week 17: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary
^
abNew Orleans finished ahead of Seattle based on conference record.
^
abChicago finished and clinched the 7th and final playoff spot ahead of Arizona based on better win percentage in common games (against Detroit, the NY Giants, Carolina, and the LA Rams, Chicago finished 3–2, while Arizona finished 1–4).
^
abSan Francisco finished ahead of the NY Giants based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Dallas (see below).
^
abNY Giants won tiebreaker over Dallas based on division record.
^
abCarolina finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.
Two Vikings players—running back
Dalvin Cook and rookie wide receiver
Justin Jefferson—were selected for the
2021 Pro Bowl,[56] the team's lowest contribution to the event since
2014, when they had no Pro Bowlers. Cook received the most votes among NFC running backs to go to his second Pro Bowl (after his rookie season in
2017),[57] and only
Russell Wilson received more votes out of any position in the NFC team, while Jefferson was the Vikings' first rookie wide receiver to be selected since
Percy Harvin in
2009.[58]