Not long after J.J. McCarthy went down with a torn meniscus last summer, Kevin O’Connell doubled down on his signal caller, proclaiming that the organization had found its next franchise quarterback.

That might explain why the hype surrounding the Vikings is already palpable with McCarthy set to take over under center.

It will be sink or swim for McCarthy next season as he will immediately be thrown into the deep end of the pool.

Not only will he be thrust into the spotlight with the Vikings prominently featured in primetime — including a pair of international games across the pond — he also will get to see how he compares to some of the NFL’s best quarterbacks.

Here’s a look at the Vikings’ schedule with a game-by-game breakdown:

Week 1: Vikings at Bears

Monday, Sept. 8, 7:15 p.m. (ESPN)

Why not kick things off against an NFC North rival in primetime? The opener should be a good measuring stick for the NFC North rivals. It will be a chance for McCarthy to prove himself against Caleb Williams in a clash of young quarterbacks, and a chance for the Vikings to spoil Ben Johnson’s debut as the head coach of the Bears.

Week 2: Vikings vs. Falcons

Sunday, Sept. 14, 7:20 p.m. (NBC)

No longer is this game defined by Kirk Cousins playing the Vikings. Not when the Falcons have handed the keys to Michael Penix Jr. This will be another chance for McCarthy to prove himself against a young quarterback selected ahead of him in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Week 3: Vikings vs. Bengals

Sunday, Sept. 21, Noon (CBS)

The defense will face an early test against the Bengals with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase coming to town. They were former college teammates with Justin Jefferson at LSU, and will be looking to score some bragging rights.

Week 4: Vikings at Steelers (Dublin, Ireland)

Sunday, Sept. 28, 8:30 a.m. (NFL Network)

After having some discussions with Aaron Rodgers this spring, the Vikings might end up playing againts him this fall if he signs with the Steelers. That would be the main topic heading into the international game in Dublin, Ireland.

Week 5: Vikings at Browns (London, England)

Sunday, Oct. 5, 8:30 a.m. (NFL Network)

When the Vikings play the Browns it will mark the first time a team has played international games on consecutive weekends in different countries. There could be a slight advantage for the Vikings getting to acclimated to the time change ahead of this game in London.

Week 6: Bye

This will be a much-needed break for the Vikings after spending a week and a half across the pond.

Week 7: Vikings vs. Eagles

Sunday, Oct. 19, Noon (Fox)

A matchup against the defending Super Bowl champion should give the Vikings a good idea of where they stand. It shouldn’t be overlooked that the Vikings invested in the interiors of both lines in free agency largely because the Eagles dominated Kansas City in the trenches in a blowout Super Bowl victory.

Week 8: Vikings at Chargers

Thursday Oct. 23, 7:15 p.m. (Amazon Prime)

Though the game is technically a battle between the Vikings and Chargers, also will be a battle between McCarthy and Jim Harbaugh. They won a national championship together at Michigan before they each made the jump to the next level.

Week 9: Vikings at Lions

Sunday, Nov. 2, Noon (Fox)

This game could go a long way toward determining who wins the NFC North. If the Vikings beat the Lions, they will put themselves in the driver’s seat. If the Vikings lose, they will be in chase mode.

Week 10: Vikings vs. Ravens

Sunday, Nov. 9, Noon (Fox)

It might be impossible for the Vikings to slow down the Ravens with Lamar Jackson running the show. He’s arguably the most dynamic player in the NFL, so the Vikings are going to have their hands full. They might simply have to outscore him if they want to win the game.

Week 11: Vikings vs. Bears

Sunday, Nov. 16, Noon (Fox)

Maybe the best part about the Vikings playing the Bears on the road early in their slate? They should get to avoid sloppy conditions at Soldier Field. The rematch at home will feature an optimal playing surface inside U.S. Bank Stadium regardless of what the weather looks like outside.

Week 12: Vikings at Packers

Sunday, Nov. 23, Noon (Fox)

The rivalry matchup will have to wait as the Vikings and the Packers aren’t scheduled to face off until right before Thanksgiving. The playoff picture in the NFC North should be starting to come into focus by this time, so the game itself could be extremely important for both teams.

Week 13: Vikings at Seahawks

Sunday, Nov. 30, 3:05 p.m. (Fox)

It won’t necessarily be a revenge game considering the Vikings helped Sam Darnold get his career back on track. That said, Darnold will no doubt be looking to put his best foot forward when the Seahawks host the Vikings.

Week 14: Vikings vs. Commanders

Sunday, Dec. 7, Noon (Fox)

The defense for the Vikings will have to bring it when the Commanders descend upon the Twin Cities with Jayden Daniels in tow. He was electrifying as a rookie, leading Washington into the NFC championship game.

Week 15: Vikings at Cowboys

Sunday, Dec. 14, 7:20 p.m. (NBC)

A pilgrimage to Jerry World in Dallas will offer its own set of challenges as the Vikings attempt to take down the Cowboys. It will likely take a complete effort from the Vikings on both sides of the ball to score a win.

Week 16: Vikings at Giants

Sunday, Dec. 21, Noon (Fox)

There’s no place like New York City around Christmas. It’s likely that the Vikings will be heavy favorites when they travel to play the New York Giants. They have to take care of business to make sure the trip doesn’t take on a sour note.

Week 17: Vikings vs. Lions

Thursday, Dec. 25, 3:30 p.m. (Netflix)

The good news for the Vikings is they will be home for the holidays when they host the Lions on Christmas. The bad news for the Vikings is it will be a quick turnaround against arguably the best team in the division.

Week 18: Vikings vs. Packers

Sunday, Jan. 4, TBD (TBD)

The competitive nature of the NFC North should keep everybody relatively close in the standings. It would certainly be something if the finale between the Vikings and the Packers had major implications.

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After impressing at rookie minicamp last week, left guard Donovan Jackson has officially signed with the Vikings.

A source confirmed the move to the Pioneer Press.

It was only a matter of time before Jackson inked his contract after being selected by the Vikings with the No. 24 pick in the 2025 draft. His signing means every player from the Class of 2025 is now under contract.

Though his place on the depth chart isn’t set in stone, Jackson will presumably be given the insider track to start at left guard for the Vikings.

If he ends up winning the job in training camp, Jackson will benefit from playing between left tackle Christian Darrisaw and center Ryan Kelly. The other side of the offensive line will feature right guard Will Fries and right tackle Brian O’Neill holding down the fort.

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Eager to jumpstart 450 residential units and a series of commercial buildings on long-stalled development parcels at Highland Bridge, the St. Paul City Council voted 5-2 on Wednesday to amend a longstanding tax incentive district, delaying construction of some internal sidewalks and landscaping for up to five years.

The amendments — the sixth to the former Ford Motor Co. site’s $275 million tax increment financing district since 2016 — do not alter the total spending planned within the TIF district, but they do alter payment schedules. A new “minimum assessments agreement” shifts some TIF payments from interest to principal and saves the master developer, the Ryan Cos., some costs upfront as the taxable value of particular land parcels are lowered.

“This does not impact the city budget or the general fund,” said Council Member Saura Jost, addressing the city council on Wednesday. “This reduces the holding cost to the developer, enabling it to move forward as foreseen in the master plan. … We’re not changing the public investment at the site.”

Getting county assessors to agree to drop land values took a joint effort from both the city and the Ryan Cos.

At Highland Bridge, Weidner Apartment Homes now plan construction of two market-rate apartment buildings spanning 350 housing units in the near future. Nearby, the Ryan Cos. had once planned to have started work on a series of commercial or mixed-use buildings on the parcel known as “Block 2” back in 2021.

Neither project has moved forward in recent years, with both developers blaming the city’s rent control policies for adding to an already-complicated financing landscape weighed down by high interest rates, rising construction costs and other barriers.

3,100 units instead of 3,800

The Ryan Cos. have since redrawn their plans for four one-story commercial buildings, as well as a four-story, mixed-use residential building consisting of 97 market-rate rental units attached to ground-floor commercial space, a rooftop deck, streetscape improvements and a public promenade. Also planned is a 190-stall structured parking facility.

“You would see immediate development at this site,” said Maureen Michalski, a regional senior vice president of development with the Ryan Cos., referring to the TIF agreement.

So far, the developer has secured a letter of intent for a daycare to operate in one of the stand-alone commercial buildings.

Both Council Members HwaJeong Kim and Nelsie Yang voted against the new TIF arrangement and the related agreements.

While 20% of Highland Bridge is set up for affordable housing through a master plan, Yang expressed concern Wednesday that there was little clarity about the specific rents planned in the new residential buildings. The overall number of residential units planned for Highland Bridge has been redrawn at 3,100 units, down from an initial projection of 3,800 units, according to city staff.

Rents at an existing market-rate development — The Collection at Highland Bridge — average about $2,000 per unit, according to a spokesperson for Weidner Apartment Homes, who said he expected the new construction to proceed along the same grounds.

“Is this truly the biggest win that we can get for the city of St. Paul at the negotiation table?” said Yang, noting that Ramsey County had delayed a vote this week on the new minimum assessments agreement. “I don’t know what an alternative agreement could have looked like. … Also, where is the county on this, too? This is something that is going to be impacting them.”

With Weidner refusing to move forward until the company was released from rent control obligations, the city council voted 4-3 last week to relieve all buildings citywide built after 2004 from the city’s voter-approved 3% cap on annual rent increases.

A lack of communication

Council Member Cheniqua Johnson, who chairs the city’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority, said Wednesday she was excited to see new housing move forward, though she was disappointed with Weidner’s lack of communication with her office, as well as with the city in general, prior to the council vote on the rent control amendment.

“I want to add you to that discussion,” said Johnson, addressing Weidner development director Nick Nowotarski, who promised better days ahead. “That was the first time I had ever met you.”

Added Council President Rebecca Noecker, “I have been on this council for 10 years, and I’ve never had any contact with Weidner. … It matters to have you show up, and it matters to have this communication.”

The Ryan Cos. now hope to build the stand-alone commercial structures and the mixed-use building on Blocks 2 using both a public business subsidy and some $24 million in additional loan principal, supported by tax increment financing through a pay-as-you-go note. “TIF” tax incentives allow private developers to complete public-facing aspects of their developments using money that would ordinarily pay off city, county and school district tax obligations.

The city’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority hired the tax firm Baker Tilly as a fiscal consultant to evaluate project costs, financing and operations and confirm the need for TIF to move the Ryan Cos.’ Block 2 project forward.

New lower land values

A fresh agreement involves lower new tax values for the buildable land.

The original “minimum assessments agreement … places a tax burden on the properties without an offsetting income source,” reads the city staff report. “Both the city and the developer have incurred debt to advance the infrastructure and have carefully evaluated adjustments to the minimum values to entice the stalled development to proceed.”

“We have worked with the assessor, who is supportive of adjustments to certain lots,” the report states. “The resulting … amendment will reduce values for the certain lots in the short term.” The lot values will exceed the original values in 2041 and continue to increase through the year 2047, the final year of the TIF district.

Separately, the Weidner agreement will require the construction of two buildings resulting in approximately 350 housing units over the next few years, as well as pre-payment to the city of all of their “Green Infrastructure” assessments. Jost noted that form of binding development agreement was not in place previously.

The two developers have agreed not to apply for additional city or Housing and Redevelopment Authority funds on land they own for any future “vertical development” at Highland Bridge.

“Highland Bridge is important to Ward 3,” Jost told the council Wednesday. “It’s important to the whole city. … Our city will see one of its vacant spaces replaced with something of purpose. … We’re expanding the housing options available to our residents in Highland.”

Hopes of state lawmakers passing a more than $60 billion two-year budget on time are fading at the Minnesota Capitol.

Daily marathon negotiation sessions between Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor majority Senate and the House tied 67-67 between the DFL and Republicans, have failed to produce a final budget deal.

On Wednesday, Democratic-Farmer-Labor leaders said it’s increasingly likely lawmakers will have to go into overtime, as it’ll be difficult to beat the May 19 deadline to pass bills. The government shuts down on July 1 if they can’t reach an agreement.

Speaking to reporters outside the governor’s cabinet room Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, said it’s important the Legislature gets the budget right and doesn’t push its staff too hard in the final days of the regular session.

Sen. Erin P. Murphy. (Courtesy of the Minnesota Senate)

“I do think it is important to recognize that human beings work here and human beings need sleep,” she said, later stating more plainly: “I think a special session is very, very likely if not inevitable.”

House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman said weeks ago that she expected a special session. Republican leaders say they remain hopeful a deal can be reached before Monday’s midnight legislative deadline, but as of Thursday, there are only five days remaining to pass bills.

Gov. Tim Walz.

“I still think there’s a chance we can get this thing by the time, but I think as the hours go by, it becomes a little more difficult,” Walz said at a Tuesday news conference unrelated to the budget.

He added that the special session may happen soon after next Monday’s adjournment and needn’t drag on for days if he and leaders can reach a deal before officially returning to the Capitol for business. The governor calls a special session.

Taxpayer cost?

State leaders’ inability to finish their work on time will cost Minnesota taxpayers, though exactly how much is hard to pin down. It will depend on the number of days and the amount of work they’ll need to complete. The cost could be more than $17,000 a day.

Senators and representatives earn a yearly salary of $51,750, and they can collect $86 per day per diem for meals and other incidental expenses.

Legislative salaries are fixed, but if all 201 members of the Senate and House collected their full per diem, it will cost the state $17,286 per day.

That’s the maximum, and it’s not likely all lawmakers will claim the full amount. They haven’t in the past. House Public Information Services in 2019 estimated that a special session costs the state anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 per day.

Other costs that are harder to pin down include pay for seasonal legislative staff who will work overtime. Operations at the Capitol also carry costs.

Lengths can vary

The lengths of special sessions can vary greatly.

In 2021, lawmakers returned to the Capitol for 24 days from mid-June to early July to pass the 2021-2023 budget and address an extension of Walz’s COVID-19 peacetime emergency. In 2017, lawmakers convened for three days to complete the budget.

In 2019, lawmakers only returned to the Capitol for one day immediately following the regular session to pass a previously negotiated budget bill, which didn’t have quite enough time to reach the finish line of the regular session.

Walz told reporters this week that his hope is that this year’s special session would be the same if he ends up calling one.

Overtime is more common

This year’s legislative session got off to a slow start as the House DFL, temporarily at a one-seat disadvantage, boycotted the session for three weeks to deny a temporary Republican majority quorum to pass bills and conduct other business.

That ate into the Legislature’s time, but special sessions have become increasingly common in recent history, especially during a budget year.

Often, the governor calls a special session to address emergencies, as Walz did several times during the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ve also become the norm for passing a budget under divided government.  The last time a divided government passed a budget without a special session was 2007.

DFL trifectas — where one party controls the governor’s office, Senate and House — passed budgets with no special session in 2013 and 2023. In all other years without one party control, lawmakers had to return to the Capitol for overtime.

In 2011, Minnesota’s government shut down for 20 days after Gov. Mark Dayton and the Republican-controlled Legislature couldn’t reach an agreement on the budget.

Sticking points

The Legislature is working with a $456 million surplus for the next two years, but a $6 billion deficit looms in 2028-2029.

What the state should cut to prepare for that bleaker outlook is central to the debate between DFLers and the GOP. Many Democrats are hesitant to water down new social programs and mandated employer benefits they created in 2023.

Key sticking points include unemployment benefits for hourly public school employees, which Republicans want to end. The DFL budget frameworks lean on funding cuts for nursing homes and long-term disability waivers, which Republicans oppose.

There are also debates over whether the state should continue offering MinnesotaCare coverage to people without legal immigration status. Republicans claim that it will cost the state a significant amount in the future based on higher-than-expected enrollment, but so far, the costs they predict have not materialized.

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