EAGAN, Minn. — It's time to turn the idea into a reality.

Minnesota has spent the better part of the past six months building toward an idea of the 2025 Vikings. How the team will perform in win-or-go-home games. How badly players and coaches are seeking more.

"It's the type of team that can show up to a fight not knowing what the fight is going to be, and be the last one standing," General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah clarified his vision for the new squad Tuesday.

Adofo-Mensah and Head Coach Kevin O'Connell welcomed media members back to Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center to field a flurry of questions regarding the start of Vikings Training Camp. The former noted the ideation phase is over, and now is the chance to form a deliverable product.

"This is the time for Kevin, his great staff, our football operations staff, to really build the reality of what this team is going to be like," Adofo-Mensah said. "So we're excited to see that. We think we have the best staff in the league, we're world class at it, and I know we're going to get the best out of this team."

Rookies and select players, including quarterbacks, reported for business Sunday. Veterans arrived Tuesday. The acclimation period begins at Wednesday's practice, and fans get their first look Saturday.

Again, it's time to turn an idea – a revised vision for the franchise that sprouted this offseason – into reality. The Vikings aced free agency by estimations of most external graders. They smartly navigated the 2025 NFL Draft, which they entered with little capital. In both endeavors, Minnesota directed its efforts to support quarterback J.J. McCarthy as the youngster builds on the promise he's displayed.

Now it's a matter of hitting the grass, buying further into the process and trusting the idea can be real.

O'Connell touched on the importance of weighing previous training camps and what they afforded prior teams with ensuring this specific group is "on a great trajectory" for the opener at Chicago on Sept. 8.

"We have inventory of information with a lot of our players, with how we've kind of started seasons, with how we prepared our team over the last three seasons, to where I'm really looking at it from a standpoint of what is, when I look back on things, what's prepared certain aspects of our team better than others," said O'Connell, underscoring a focus on physicality and general improvement in each area.

"I thought we had our probably most physical camp last year," continued O'Connell, "and between the way our defense played and the way we saw some improvement in the running game and the line of scrimmage aspect of our team, I think it was a positive with, between the personnel that we've added, some new players across really both lines of scrimmage, we're going to need to do that and then some.

"This year, I'm looking for the same type of feel to camp that we had last year," he added.

Here are four other takeaways from Tuesday's media session with Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell:

1. McCarthy's leading presence

O'Connell was asked Tuesday about veteran defensive tackle and captain Harrison Phillips saying McCarthy reminded him of Bills QB Josh Allen, who was Phillips' teammate in Buffalo from 2018-21.

"I think, with J.J., probably what Harrison was referring to is just a presence," O'Connell said. "Leadership comes from all aspects of our team, our building, our organization, to positively impact each other, and J.J. has proven from day one, after selecting him, that he has that. We knew that before we were lucky enough, fortunate enough to select him, that he had that kind of makeup. I think the teammates here have responded to that."

Along with noticing McCarthy's advanced comfort level in the "core foundation of the system," O'Connell credited the job the 22-year-old has done from a leadership standpoint to fit within the rest of the team's culture. He was frequently in the building during the offseason, always looking for methods to gain an edge and positively impact the rest of the organization.

"It's been awesome this summer, seeing these guys getting together, working, whether it was in, I think in Nashville at one point, and then here locally with the full group," O'Connell reflected, noting McCarthy had a phenomenal offseason. "You feel the energy and the enthusiasm, not only that J.J. has brought to the group, but that they're reciprocating right back to him."

2. Injury updates

The Vikings are opening camp with a relatively clean bill of health. Minnesota announced Monday that rookies Gavin Bartholomew, a tight end drafted out of Pittsburgh, and Chaz Chambliss, an undrafted outside linebacker from Georgia, will open camp on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

O'Connell elaborated Tuesday that Bartholomew is dealing with a lower back injury and Chambliss is dealing with a right foot injury.

The coach called out the rehab efforts of left tackle Christian Darrisaw, right guard Will Fries and receiver Rondale Moore to "put themselves in a position to be out on the grass, practicing in all different capacities." Darrisaw and Fries fit bigly in Minnesota's plan for the offensive line rebuild.

"We are very pleased with where those guys are at and their timelines to fully returning to daily participation," O'Connell said. "We have great plans … and cannot wait to see that come to fruition."

3. Metellus dialogue ongoing

Joshua Metellus has blossomed from a special teams stalwart into a defensive dynamo, capable of handling a high bandwidth from multiple spots on the field.

His current contract is set to expire after the 2025 season, but Adofo-Mensah said the Vikings are having "great dialogue" with the 27-year-old's agent.

"We had all players are here and accounted for [by the reporting deadline], O'Connell said. "And I know Josh has been very much looking forward to training camp getting going. He's one of our captains, one of our leaders, and even throughout the spring, was integral in kind of how Flo' and the defensive group are looking at 2025."

4. Vikings awaiting NFL decision on Addison

Jordan Addison last Thursday resolved a 2024 California court case by pleading no contest to a "wet reckless" driving charge. As part of the resolution, Addison will undergo a probation period, pay a fine and complete two online courses.

Now the third-year receiver and Vikings will wait to hear from the NFL on if the league plans to implement any type of disciplinary action for Addison that could include a suspension.

"We've been in communication with them," Adofo-Mensah said. "They're obviously going through their process, and we'll know as soon as they know. The matter has been adjudicated, and we're just waiting to go from there."

Adofo-Mensah said the NFL has not indicated a timetable for that decision. He was asked about how the team will plan for Addison potentially missing time.

"When that [incident] originally happened, we knew that [a suspension] was a possibility," Adofo-Mensah said. "But really, you're talking about team building in general. You might not have players on the field for various reasons, and you always got to be ready with depth players you're excited about taking the field and taking those opportunities. And this is no different."

Join us at Training Camp.

View the 2025 Vikings Schedule.

Check out the 2025 International games.

View future opponents for the Vikings.

Buy single game tickets.

Download the official Vikings App.