The annual schedule release across the NFL has taken on a life of its own over the past decade or so. What used to function as a simple announcement online has morphed into total production with many teams pulling out all the stops on social media in the name of as much engagement as possible.

Naturally, the Vikings followed suit with that trend on Wednesday, posting a 1-minute, 40-second video on social media, which creatively detailed the slate of games for 2024.

Here’s a look at the Vikings schedule with a breakdown for each game:

Week 1 at Giants

Sept. 8 at noon … The season opener will come on the road as the Vikings travel to play the Giants. Who will start for the Vikings under center? Will it be journeyman quarterback Sam Darnold or rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy? That will be the biggest question throughout training camp.

Week 2 vs 49ers

Sept. 15 at noon … If he wins the starting job for the Vikings out of training camp, Darnold will get an opportunity to play against the team that helped revitalize his career. If that doesn’t happen, McCarthy will face 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, the player many people compared him to coming out of the 2024 draft.

Week 3 vs. Texans

Sept. 22 at noon … The return of Stefon Diggs and Danielle Hunter will certainly be a story line in the Twin Cities. That said, the Vikings need to keep their focus singularly on the Texans, an emerging Super Bowl contender led by star quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Week 4 at Packers

Sept. 29 at noon … The scene of the crime last season. Who knows where the Vikings would be right now if former franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins didn’t rupture his Achilles’ tendon at Lambeau Field? Maybe the Vikings would’ve gone on a deep playoff run and Cousins would still be playing in the Twin Cities. This game itself should be cathartic for a lot of Vikings fans as they turn the page to the next chapter.

Week 5 vs. Jets

Oct. 6 at 8:30 a.m. … The conclusion of a brutal stretch to the first month will happen at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London when the Vikings host the Jets. Not exactly the easiest task. This will be the first time the Vikings get to play star quarterback Aaron Rodgers since he moved on from the Packers. No word yet on how the Vikings plan to deal with their circadian rhythms.

Week 6

Bye

Week 7 vs. Lions

Oct. 20 at noon  … After losing to the Lions on Christmas Eve, the Vikings will look to exact some revenge. Will tight end T.J. Hockenson be back on the field for the Vikings? He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament against the Lions last season after absorbing a low hit from safety Kerby Joseph.

Week 8 at Rams

Oct. 24 at 7:15 p.m. … This will be a homecoming for head coach Kevin O’Connell. He won a Super Bowl as a member of the Rams before being hired by the Vikings. This will be played in primetime on a Thursday night, so it’ll be a quick turnaround for both teams.

Week 9 vs. Colts

Nov. 3 at noon … The last time the Colts came to town, the Vikings secured the win by pulling off the largest comeback the NFL has ever seen. Now, if the Vikings fall behind by 33 points once again this season, they probably won’t be as fortunate.

Week 10 at Jaguars

Nov. 10 at noon … This will be a good test for the Vikings. No longer the doormat of the NFL, the Jaguars have lots of talent on offense and defense. Will the Vikings be able to compete?

Week 11 at Titans

Nov. 17 at noon … This is a very winnable game for the Vikings on paper, and they must take advantage of it. These teams have some familiarity with each other after the Vikings hosted the Titans for joint practices ahead of last season.

Week 12  at Bears

Nov. 24 at noon … This will be the first time the Vikings get an up-close look at No. 1 pick Caleb Williams. He has the potential to wreak havoc on the NFC North for the next decade. It’ll be interesting to see what defensive coordinator Brian Flores has up his sleeve.

Week 13 vs. Cardinals

Dec. 1 at noon … The best receiver in the NFL is Justin Jefferson. The best rookie receiver in the NFL is Marvin Harrison Jr. It will be fun to see both players ball out in front of each other.

Week 14 vs. Falcons

Dec. 8 at noon … There might not be a more highly anticipated game on the slate this season. The divorce between the Vikings and former franchise quarterback Cousins played out publicly for everybody to see. Which side is better off? That remains to be seen.

Week 15 vs. Bears

Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. … A few weeks after playing them on the road, the Vikings will get to host the Bears in primetime on a Monday night. There’s a good chance McCarthy could be the starter for the Vikings by then. That would pave the way for a battle of the rookie quarterbacks.

Week 16 at Seahawks

Dec. 22 at 3:05 p.m. … This rivalry used to have a lot of teeth.  Now the animosity seems to have dissipated with both teams in transition. Maybe this is a chance for the Vikings and the Seahawks to rekindle a flame.

Week 17 vs. Packers

Dec. 29 at Noon … This matchup could end up determining playoff positioning for the Packers. They have lofty goals this season following the emergence of quarterback Jordan Love. Will the Vikings be vying for playoff positioning themselves or simply hoping to play spoiler?

Week 18 at Lions

TBD … Will this matchup mean anything to either team? Perhaps. Regardless, the Vikings are now chasing the Lions in the NFC North, so anytime they play each other it will be appointment television.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins speaks during a news conference after an NFL football mini training camp practice on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Flowery Branch, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams looks to a throw during the NFL football team’s rookie camp at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Ill., Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

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Thoughts of giving up plagued him.

After working to find a diagnosis for what was going on in his upper body, a process that took between 12-18 months, Twins pitcher Josh Staumont underwent thoracic outlet surgery. Then he underwent a lengthy rehab process from a procedure that major leaguers have had mixed results coming back from.

So when he finally got back on the mound in a big league game on May 9, one of the things that stood out to him was just how many times he wanted to give up — and the fact that he didn’t.

“Giving up is always going to be the easy option, and you’re going to deal with the consequences of that,” he said. “To be in the position to where you finally kind of take that next step and you’re able to throw here and almost put that behind you fully, it’s unmatched. It really is. It’s one of my most proud moments of my career.”

Once one of the most dominant relievers in the game, Staumont, now 30, started dealing in 2022 with symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition in which nerves or blood vessels are compressed, missing time with what was called a neck strain back then.

He finished that season with a 6.45 earned-run average. Last year, he had a 5.40 ERA before he finally shut things down in June. He had TOS surgery to remove a rib and scalene muscles the next month.

“Being in this position after the last two years, just struggling with not knowing what’s going on, deciding if we’re doing surgery, struggling to compete, just being able to go out and feel good and get the results you want and not really worry about a lot of the things I was worried about because it wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I don’t know how to get a hitter out.’ It was ‘I couldn’t feel my arm,’ ” Staumont said. “It’s the same game but it’s got different meaning, so it was awesome.”

As thoughts of shutting it down crept into his mind, Staumont thought of his younger self — the one who would have been just so ecstatic to be wearing a uniform of a major league team — and even more than that, he thought of his future self.

It was something he used as his guiding light.

“When I’m 85, 90, I’ve got little time left, I hope I look back at myself at 28, 30 and I’m happy with the way I went about my busines. Because you’re always going to want to go back to that time,” Staumont said. “You do want to give up, but your future self would look back at you and be pretty grateful for the situation that you found yourself in.”

After going through the rehab process, his return to the majors was delayed even further after he strained his calf near the end of spring training. Once his leg healed, the Twins optioned him to Triple-A, where he worked in eight games before getting the call.

He’s still working his way back, to an extent. His stuff isn’t where he wants it to be yet, he’s not throwing as hard as he used to, and there’s still maintenance to do in the shoulder area. But his first three games back have seen him throw 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

And it’s clear just how significant that return has been to him.

“It’s nice to see a guy work hard and get back,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “You just never know in this game, so working your way back from something, it becomes meaningful.”

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Applications are now open for the Stillwater Area Community Foundation’s annual Great Idea Competition.

The foundation will award up to $10,000 to a person, organization or business from the Stillwater area that is prepared to undertake a civic-minded project and needs funding to make it happen.

Last year, Stillwater resident Matt Thueson came up with a plan to install QR codes in and around Stillwater that would link to historic photos and information about the site. The first set of “History Spots” will be installed on May 24, and more will appear in early summer, Thueson said.

Other past Great Idea winners include:

“Growing Youth, Growing Food,” Cimarron Community Farm’s free summer youth program
“Wild River Journey,” a program from Wild Rivers Conservancy to bring more than 500 students onto the St. Croix River via paddle boat field trips;
Friends of Fairy Falls
Power of the St. Croix Utility Box Mural Project
Beautification of the Stillwater Stairs
River City Sculpture Tour
Pollinator Friendly Alliance of Stillwater
Friends of Stillwater Area Dog Park

The competition is open to individuals, businesses, groups, city/county government, schools and nonprofit organizations, but competition guidelines are “intentionally vague to encourage creativity,” foundation officials said.

The selection committee considers whether the project “enhances quality of life in the area, strengthens community connections, leaves a lasting impact or builds community pride,” officials said. “A winning idea could make life more enjoyable for residents and visitors, address environmental concerns, help underserved citizens, attract visitors or engage residents.”

If selected, the Great Idea recipient must then develop and execute the idea, initiative or project, officials said.

The deadline is June 30. The winner will be announced in July.

For more information, go to www.stillwaterareafoundation.org.

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A Fridley man has pleaded guilty to murdering his 5-month-old son at their home last year.

Aaron Michael Orlando Rathke, 24, was charged in October with second-degree intentional murder in connection with the death of Kaiden Michael Rathke on March 1, 2023. In September, a coroner ruled the baby’s death a homicide, caused by blunt-force injuries.

Aaron Michael Orlando Rathke (Courtesy of the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office)

Rathke entered an Alford plea to the charge as part of a plea agreement he reached last week with the Anoka County attorney’s office. An Alford plea means he maintained his innocence while acknowledging the prosecution likely had enough evidence to convict him.

As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a 25-year prison sentence, the court document says. He remained jailed Wednesday in lieu of $1 million bail ahead of a June 24 sentencing hearing.

Rathke and Ahnisah Simone Waters drove their child to the Fridley police department on March 1 after he had stopped breathing. When they arrived at the police station, the infant did not have a pulse. Officers began CPR and the child was taken to Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

According to the charges, Rathke told police that he took the baby into a bedroom to change his diaper. He said the infant vomited and stopped breathing. He said did chest compressions but they were unsuccessful so he and the mother took the infant to the police station.

They did not call 911, he said, because in other cases when the baby had stopped breathing they had been able to “bring him back,” the charges say.

He said the child would sometimes have trouble breathing or “forget to breathe” and it had been happening every few weeks since the baby was 4 months old. He said he would do chest compressions with his fingers to get the baby to breathe again.

During further questioning, Rathke told detectives that the baby was a quiet child who would “holler” if he was picked up or touched. He described changing the baby’s diaper by saying “it was hell” and that the baby would “scream his lungs out.”

Then Rathke said he’d been diagnosed as bipolar, “which results in him getting angry and having ‘mini outbursts’ and ‘blank out,’” where he is unable to remember things. He denied having any of those behaviors with his son.

Less than a week later, Rathke gave another statement to police saying he may have hugged the baby “a little too hard,” adding that he always gave the boy big hugs because “that way, I wouldn’t lose it.”

Later, on June 6, detectives learned that Waters had sent a message to a friend through Snapchat saying that Rathke had “killed the baby.”

Then Waters sent Rathke’s mother a message saying that she was scared to say anything but that she had been in the room when the baby died. She wrote: “He suffocated him and put him to sleep and then pushed on his chest to bring him back.”

In August, Waters told police that Rathke had killed their child. She gave another statement the next month, saying she had been afraid to tell police what really happened because Rathke had been abusive to her. She said Rathke told her he would put pressure on his son’s throat to make him pass out when he was having trouble getting him to go to sleep.

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