NFL franchise story

Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota's history combines one of football's great defenses, four Super Bowl trips, Moss's vertical revolution, Peterson's rushing force and repeated brushes with the final game.

Every era · The defining players · Five essential games

The franchise timeline

Every era of the Minnesota Vikings.

Move through the franchise chronologically. The jerseys identify each chapter’s central cast, and every card opens the complete story of that era.

Historical reference: Minnesota Vikings official NFL team page ↗

The beginning

Franchise era

1961—1966

Fran Tarkenton

Jim Marshall

Mick Tingelhoff

Tarkenton improvises from the beginning

The expansion Vikings

Tarkenton threw four touchdowns off the bench in the franchise's first game while the line of a future contender began taking shape.

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Chapter 01

1961—1966

Franchise era

1967—1979

Fran Tarkenton

Alan Page

Carl Eller

Four NFC championships without the final win

The Purple People Eaters

Bud Grant's disciplined teams and a historic defensive front reached four Super Bowls and made Minnesota a permanent contender.

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Chapter 02

1967—1979

Franchise era

1980—1991

Anthony Carter

Chris Doleman

Joey Browner

Carter arrives as an unlikely new cornerstone

Between Tarkenton and the Dome

Minnesota remained dangerous, including a surprise 1987 NFC title-game run, while assembling the stars of its next offense.

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Chapter 03

1980—1991

Franchise era

1992—2000

Cris Carter

Randy Moss

John Randle

The league's most explosive offense

Carter, Moss and the 1998 heartbreak

Moss transformed the league as a rookie and the 15–1 Vikings set a scoring record before falling in overtime one game short of the Super Bowl.

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Chapter 04

1992—2000

Franchise era

2001—2013

Adrian Peterson

Jared Allen

Kevin Williams

A singular runner carries changing teams

The Peterson years

Peterson returned from major knee surgery to rush for 2,097 yards, while Brett Favre's 2009 season produced another painful NFC title-game finish.

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Chapter 05

2001—2013

Franchise era

2014—2021

Harrison Smith

Danielle Hunter

Adam Thielen

A complete roster produces the Minneapolis Miracle

Zimmer's defense

Mike Zimmer built an elite defense, and Stefon Diggs's last-second touchdown sent the 2017 Vikings to the NFC Championship Game.

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Chapter 06

2014—2021

Franchise era

2022—present

Justin Jefferson

T.J. Hockenson

Christian Darrisaw

An elite receiver leads a changing offense

The Jefferson transition

Jefferson's record pace and a season of improbable comebacks carried Minnesota into its post-Peterson, post-Zimmer transition.

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Chapter 07

2022—present

Present day

The essential watchlist

Five Minnesota Vikings games to start with.

Curated from the franchise’s defining eras, championship stakes and the games that still carry its story.

#01 · Conference Championship

Conference Championship

Falcons vs Vikings

Jan 17, 1999

#02 · Divisional Round

Saints vs Vikings

Jan 14, 2018

#03 · Super Bowl