Packing Off the Season: Minnesota Vikings Beat the Green Bay Packers in Week 18 to End the Season

The Minnesota Vikings wrapped their 2025 season with a Week 18 win at home against NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers and finished the season with a 9-8 record.

The Minnesota Vikings' 2025 season might not have gone to plan (it actually found the plan, stabbed it, and then lit it on fire), but their 16-3 win over NFC North rival the Green Bay Packers in Week 18 caps off the 9-8 season with a five-game winning streak. Minnesota ended a strange season on a high, and emotional, note.

Hosting the playoff-bound Packers, the Vikings started quarterback JJ McCarthy despite the hairline fracture in his throwing hand. Minnesota needs to see progress in McCarthy, and McCarthy needs the reps. In the third quarter McCarthy re-aggravated the injury in his throwing hand and Max Brosmer (7/8 for 57 yards) started at quarterback for the rest of the game. McCarthy ended the day 14/23 for 182 yards, no interceptions or touchdowns.

Minnesota Vikings' quarterback JJ McCarthy was flagged 15 yards for taunting in Minnesota's Week 18 win over the Green Bay Packers.

Injury isn't the only controversial thing that McCarthy critics will note from this game, McCarthy was flagged 15 yards for taunting, on Minnesota's first possession. In addition to causing some to question McCarthy's maturity, the penalty stalled the drive and forced the Vikings to settle for a 43-yard field goal from the automatic Will Reichard.

But both McCarthy and Brosmer were able to feed the ball to wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Jefferson hauled in 8 catches for 101 yards, pushing him past the 1,000-yard mark. This achievement makes Jefferson the 3rd player in NFL history (he joins Randy Moss and Mike Evans) to record six consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards.

Clayton Tune started at quarterback in place of Jordan Love despite Love having cleared concussion protocol. With a backup to bewilder, Vikings' defensive coordinator Brian Flores dialed up the pressure and bottled up the Packers' offense. Minnesota shut Green Bay out of the end zone and the Packers' only points were from a 24-yard field goal as the game expired.

Minnesota had an uneven start to the season and a four-game skid in the middle, they have been out of playoff contention for weeks, and yet they finished the season on a winning note and going 4-2 in the NFC North. While that doesn't eliminate the disappointment of missing the postseason, it does show resilience and give fans and players alike a reason to hope that they can continue to build on this next season.

A sentimental send-off today for veterans CJ Ham and Harrison Smith.

But what made this final game of the season so poignant was that next season will, likely, be built without two stalwart veterans. Fullback CJ Ham, a 10-year veteran, is calling it a career. Head coach Kevin O'Connell made sure to send Ham out in style with a 1-yard touchdown run. Ham was visibly emotional on the sideline at the end of the game when he acknowledged the cheering fans. And, while 14-year safety Harrison Smith has not made an announcement about retiring, his words and actions over the past few games have felt like a good-bye tour, his emotional media moments going viral.

Whatever the Minnesota Vikings' 2025 season has been, it was certainly strange. And whatever the 2026 season will be, it will be different. The Vikings' last game of the season might hold glimpses of the future, but it definitely held a long, last look at the end of an era.

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