Could Vikings-Cardinals be a candidate to flex to Monday Night Football?

Minnesota is scheduled to host Arizona at noon on Sunday, Dec. 1.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones, center, is sandwiched between Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, left, and defensive end Travon Walker during the third quarter on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Vikings have been flexed into a primetime slot once already this season, and it’s possible that another could be on the horizon in Week 13 when they take on the Arizona Cardinals. 

The Vikings (7-2) and Cardinals (6-4) are scheduled to meet at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis at noon on Sunday, Dec. 1, but there’s a stinker of a Monday Night Football game that week between the Cleveland Browns (2-7) and Denver Broncos (5-5). With the flexible scheduling in effect after Week 12, that game could be a candidate for flex out.

It's certainly not an unrealistic possibility. Even Monday Night Football color commentator Troy Aikman mentioned in an appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast in mid-October that Broncos-Browns “may end up being a flex.” 

That's also the week of Thanksgiving, so it's pretty easy to identify potential candidates that could flex in to the Monday night slot. There's also a Black Friday game that week (Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs), so there are few games to choose from, and the Vikings-Cardinals game is one of a few compelling matchups that could flex.

Aside from the Vikings game, the Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) and Baltimore Ravens (7-3) are scheduled for the late window on CBS. That, on paper, is the best game remaining, but it’s already in a good window in front of a national audience. Another option is the Los Angeles Chargers (6-3) visiting the Atlanta Falcons (6-4). That game is scheduled for noon. 

But otherwise, there are few intriguing options. The Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2) take on the Cincinnati Bengals (4-6) at noon. That's a division rivalry and could be an interesting matchup if the Bengals rattled off a couple wins. But the Bengals could also be 4-8 by Dec. 2. And any decisions on whether to flex games have to come no later than 12 days before the game.

For Week 13, that’s on Tuesday, so we’ll know soon enough one way or another.