1 Theory About the Vikings’ Future Can Be Put to Rest
In the offseason, the Minnesota Vikings lost quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency after he turned down Minnesota’s offer to move on and join the Atlanta Falcons instead. Of course, many things would change with the end of the Cousins era after six seasons.
1 Theory About the Vikings’ Future Can Be Put to Rest
That era ended, but a new one started. J.J. McCarthy was selected with the tenth overall pick. He became the highest-drafted quarterback in Minnesota’s franchise history, one spot ahead of Daunte Culpepper.
Seven weeks earlier, the Vikings acquired former third-overall pick Sam Darnold in free agency, just in case they wouldn’t land one of the rookies in the draft or for the scenario that the rookie wouldn’t be ready immediately. All of that is pretty much standard procedure.
The standard procedure changed, however, when McCarthy tore his meniscus in the preseason, ending his rookie season in August. Suddenly, it was Darnold’s team for the entire 2024 season, rather than just him starting for a month or two until the rookie was fully prepared.
Darnold’s history of subpar play sounded many alarm bells, but at least there was the idea that he hadn’t played well in his career because the surroundings were underwhelming. In Minnesota, however, he is supported by head coach Kevin O’Connell, who has shown the ability to squeeze everything out of his QBs, a solid offensive line, and excellent weapons, including Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, (ultimately) T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones.
In the first four games of the season, Darnold was an MVP candidate, tossing 11 touchdowns and only three interceptions, guiding the Vikings to a 4-0 record. In the five games since then, he has mightily struggled, throwing six touchdowns and seven interceptions.
His early heroics made fans of the organization pause. Maybe the team should re-sign him after the season and let him keep his starting job. Folks on social media went at it, some claiming the guy who’s winning games and, at that point, was firmly in the MVP conversation should be the QB1 next year, not the unproven quarterback who no one knows how good he actually is.
Just a few weeks later, Darnold has regressed to his usual self, as the magic dust of Kevin O’Connell’s offense has vanished, climaxing in a horrific outing against the Jaguars.
There’s simply no way the regime of O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would tie their future to a quarterback like Darnold, who might be alright in the perfect circumstances but, at the end of the day, is a spot starter for a team without any other QB options or a backup for a team that does have one. He has proven that he’s not a franchise quarterback; he’s simply making too many mistakes.
The good news is that quarterbacks of that caliber can still have long careers, as someone is always looking for a veteran signal-caller. Ryan Fitzpatrick spent 17 years in the league.
McCarthy is Minnesota’s future until proven otherwise. It’s quite obvious how highly everyone within the building in Eagan, Minnesota thinks of the 21-year-old, who led the Wolverines to a national championship and is supposed to steer the organization to its first Super Bowl.
The rookie brings exciting mobility, even more than Darnold, and has a powerful arm. In addition to the physical tools, he possesses all the mental attributes a franchise QB needs. His talent flashed in the preseason and training camp, and folks are rightfully excited to see him play in about nine months when the preseason is set to kick off.
It remains to be seen whether the Vikings want to just hand him the starting gig next season. They could also opt to sign another “Darnold” to be the bridge guy. In theory, that person could be Darnold, and the worse he plays in the final seven games (plus a potential postseason trip), the more likely that actually is. The Vikings won’t pay him starting quarterback money, but if he doesn’t get any interest on the free agency market, he could be available for another one-year, $10 million deal.
For the remainder of the season, it will be Darnold’s offense, and the Vikings will ride or die with his play. There’s simply no other option available. Hopefully, he can rekindle some of his early-season magic and get back on track.
The idea of Darnold starting in the upcoming seasons has never been realistic for various reasons, and his recent play has shown why the decision-makers put their trust in McCarthy.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt