ESPN Predicts Vikings’ QB1 in Week 1
The Minnesota Vikings are one of the top teams to watch in the next couple of weeks. With free agency right around the corner, it is still unclear how the organization moves forward at the crucial quarterback position. Do they keep Sam Darnold around for another season or hand the keys to 2024 rookie J.J. McCarthy?
ESPN Predicts Vikings’ QB1 in Week 1
At this point, all options are still on the table. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could use the franchise tag to secure Darnold’s play for another season, or he could give him a long-term contract after his Pro Bowl campaign in 2024. However, just as likely is that Darnold will leave the Twin Cities on March 10th to sign elsewhere and that 22-year-old McCarthy is taking the reins.
ESPN’s Seth Walder predicted the Week 1 starting passers for all 32 teams, and McCarthy got his nod.
“Darnold disintegrating at the end of the season surely hampered his chances of returning to Minnesota because the Vikings have a first-round QB waiting in the wings for 2025 and beyond. Plus, it’s important to note that the Vikings won 14 games because of their strong defense more than anything else. Darnold ranked 14th in QBR with a great playcaller in O’Connell and arguably the NFL’s best wide receiver in Jefferson. Is that worth sidelining McCarthy for another season? I’m skeptical.”
Indeed, prior to his late-season flop, media members all over the place expected Darnold to return for another season, but his two performances against the Lions and Rams on the biggest stage clearly revealed a ceiling. Suddenly, McCarthy received much more buzz than anyone could’ve expected when a different QB delivered 35 passing touchdowns.
The defense surely played a role in Minnesota’s unexpected 14-win season, but it should be noted that Darnold also played a fantastic season, and he got it done whenever Kevin O’Connell’s operation asked him to come up big.
No moment showed his resiliency better than the late-game game-winner in Seattle right after tweaking his ankle. Stepping up under pressure, Darnold threw a laser downfield, hitting Justin Jefferson perfectly for the go-ahead score. Folks started to believe in that moment.
At the end of the day, the Vikings need to decide whether Darnold is enough of an upgrade to warrant an annual salary of $35 million or more compared to what McCarthy (or another veteran) could bring to the table. The surroundings of Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson as the top receivers with O’Connell calling the shots, could surely help McCarthy excel, too.
O’Connell’s and Adofo-Mensah’s comments about Darnold’s future have been sounding like a goodbye for a while now, although they do their best to keep their plans a secret.
After winning the Coach of the Year trophy, head coach O’Connell said about his passer, “Look, you guys know how I feel about Sam. He is a guy who we identified last year as someone who could come in and be successful, and really, no matter where he was before he arrived, it was about maximizing our time together. And I think we did that.”
O’Connell continued, “I think it was a very special year for Sam, and what that earned him is that everybody in our league thinks he’s a bonafide, legitimate starting quarterback in our league and can win a lot of football games. He won 14 of them. So, he’s earned the right to be a free agent. But we will continue to have ongoing dialogue and discussions with him and his representation, as well as being really excited about J.J. McCarthy and where he’s at in his rehab.”
The NFL’s franchise tag window closes on March 4th. If he doesn’t draw the tag, Darnold’s representation can negotiate deals with other teams starting on March 10th and sign elsewhere on March 12th.
McCarthy, meanwhile, has been recovering from his knee injury suffered last preseason. He is expected to be full-go by the time the Vikings begin their offseason program in May.
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