The Minnesota Vikings Enter a New Era
While there are some exceptions to the rule, good NFL teams have good quarterbacks; that’s generally how the NFL works. The Minnesota Vikings have struggled in that regard for decades. Two of the better ones have departed in the last 365 days.
The Minnesota Vikings Enter a New Era
Kirk Cousins said goodbye a year ago; Sam Darnold did on Monday when he agreed to terms with the Seattle Seahawks.
Of course, the Vikings were right in letting Cousins depart. He was benched for Michael Penix Jr. for the final games of the season when his team was still in playoff contention. His stretch with one touchdown and nine interceptions was just inexcusable.
The jury is still out on Darnold (and will be for a while). He was let go after a Pro Bowl campaign with 35 passing touchdowns, and a contract with an annual salary of roughly $33.5 million isn’t that much in today’s NFL economy.
But the move represents more than just a salary or a Pro Bowl quarterback. It kicks off a new era in the Twin Cities. Outside of some games started by Jaren Hall, a homegrown quarterback hasn’t started since Teddy Bridgewater did in 2015.
For decades, quarterback reclamation projects have dominated the QB landscape for the Vikings. On the higher end, Brett Favre delivered a great season, and Cousins was a decent passer for the club. Still, it was time to finally move past the QBs other teams didn’t want anymore and time for J.J. McCarthy to take the reins.
Last offseason, the Vikings signed Darnold to a one-year contract, knowing they might miss out on a signal-caller in the unpredictable draft. A few weeks later, McCarthy was selected to become the long-term fix to the QB struggles.
That plan has never changed, although Darnold made sure to challenge it. McCarthy will likely get some competition for the Week 1 starting gig in the form of Daniel Jones, Jacoby Brissett, or another veteran, but make no mistake about it: It’s his team.
He earned a ton of praise for his performance in training camp, and one of his two quarters in the preseason was excellent. After the game, Kevin O’Connell teased that he would soon get some first-team reps in training camp, and folks started to believe that he might actually be in play for Week 1.
A couple of days later, heartbreak hit the franchise when O’Connell had to announce that his student tore his meniscus and would be out for the season.
During training camp, O’Connell said after informing folks about McCarthy’s injury: “As our fans either have already come to find out or will in the future, this guy is so motivated and so dialed in. As excited as I was to draft him, he’s confirmed everything that I hoped to see. Our fan base and everyone should be excited about the fact that we’ve got our young franchise quarterback in the building.”
His recovery has gone smoothly, although some conspiracy theorists have tried to make it sound otherwise with a weight controversy and an alleged second surgery that turned out to be just a standard procedure.
Last week, Tom Pelissero reported, “Last year’s first-round pick, J.J. McCarthy, is expected to be cleared to practice this spring after missing his rookie season because of meniscus surgery.”
About five weeks ago, McCarthy said:
“It’s going amazing; ahead of schedule, on track, whatever you want to call it, but it’s going good, and we’ll be ready in around 67 days for OTAs, and we’re running, throwing, everything feels great.”
McCarthy is an exciting new leader of the organization. He entered the draft with a ton of accomplishments, especially, of course, his national title with the Michigan Wolverines.
The man’s win-loss record is quite absurd (27-1). In high school, he registered a 36-2 record. Of course, some of those teams were stacked. Having a future NFL QB generally helps high school teams win.
Still, he brings the requisite mobility to the table, something the Vikings haven’t really had since the Daunte Culpepper days, and he has a rocket of an arm that turned some heads during last year’s training camp.
There might be some growing pains because McCarthy hasn’t played in the NFL and is coming off a lost season but getting the Kevin O’Connell treatment will help him thrive, just like the fact that he will throw the ball to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson. Running back Aaron Jones is an elite pass-catcher out of the backfield and an excellent pass protector.
Speaking of protection, the Vikings added center Ryan Kelly on Monday. He is one of the top pass-blocking centers in the business. On the edges, McCarthy will be protected by Pro Bowler Brian O’Neill and standout tackle Christian Darrisaw once he returns from his knee injury.
It’s officially McCarthy season.
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