The Plan Has Never Changed for the Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings were one of the teams to watch in the 2024 offseason as long-time starting quarterback Kirk Cousins left the franchise to join the Atlanta Falcons. His next chapter failed, but the purple organization moved on. The front office acquired a pair of quarterbacks.
The Plan Has Never Changed for the Vikings
When the team announced the signing of Sam Darnold in March, some negative feedback was raised, considering his history in the league. But just a month and some change later, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and his head coach Kevin O’Connell chose to bring Michigan’s QB1 J.J. McCarthy to the Twin Cities.
Once again, not everyone was sold. However, it was pretty clear what kind of plan the Vikings had at that point. Darnold was the starter until McCarthy would take the spot from him.
In August’s training camp, McCarthy was still firmly entrenched as the second-team signal-caller, confirmed by the fact that he barely got any snaps with the first team. Still, he showed flashes, and his physical tools mostly left fans and reporters in awe.
His knee injury knocked him out for his entire debut season, which surely was a gut punch for an organization that needed something positive to happen. Expectations entering the season couldn’t have been any lower. It was Darnold’s team, and the one player that could’ve raised any hope for the future got hurt. Six or seven wins was the betting line at that point.
Fast forward five months, and the Vikings reached the postseason but lost in their first matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Darnold passed for 36 touchdowns in his 18 games in his expected one-year audition.
His play also earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl, and many outside observers, but also a huge part of the fanbase, got suddenly on board with a long-term contract extension. Why not sign the sure-thing Darnold for $40 million a year instead of rolling the dice with the unproven rookie?
Just when it seemed like a real option, Darnold produced two horrendous games, reminding people of the ghost-seeing Jets version of himself rather than the Pro Bowler who threw five touchdowns against the Falcons or swept the Packers with two fantastic games.
Darnold’s arm is one of the better ones in the league, and he has a playmaking gene, but his slow processing throws off the timing of the aerial attack and invites sacks. His accuracy was also shaky throughout the year. It still worked out for the first 16 games.
When the pressure intensified, however, he could not sustain his comeback, significantly contributing to the losses against the Lions in a crucial Week 18 game and the actual playoff matchup against the Rams. Those two games on national television in must-win contests will likely scare off some teams, and it surely should push the Vikings toward sticking with their original plan.
The good news is that nothing has changed for Minnesota. They can let Darnold walk in free agency, get a compensatory pick in a year, and roll with McCarthy.
The tenth overall pick from the 2024 draft is still only 21 years old. O’Connell said in August after announcing the rookie’s season-ending surgery: “As our fans either have already come to find out or will in the future, this guy is so motivated and so dialed in,” O’Connell said. “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.”
McCarthy’s arm strength earned rave reviews in OTAs and training camp and he possesses the mobility a good quarterback nowadays needs. His ability to connect with teammates in the locker room had also earned praise from his teammates before training camp even began.
Safety Josh Metellus said in the summer: “He’s going to figure it out because he always does, and I think he’s going to be really good for the team. He brings good energy, and you can tell he’s a leader by nature, so I think he’ll be really good for the locker room.”
And fellow defender Blake Cashman declared: “Yeah, 21 years old but a great young man. He’s a leader. He is eager to learn. A lot of young guys, sometimes they can come in, be a little timid or shy,” Cashman said. “But he’s walking around the locker room, big smile on his face, shaking hands, getting to know everybody.”
His arrival as Minnesota’s new QB1 has been delayed by a year but the plan is very much still alive. He couldn’t take any snaps in practice, but surely has learned how to prepare throughout the NFL week, and taking mental reps also helps.
Considering the usual timeline of a meniscus injury, McCarthy should be good to go by training camp, and perhaps even be ready to fully participate in offseason workouts, which is an option. In all likelihood, the Vikings are looking for a new Darnold, someone who can step in if McCarthy isn’t quite ready to start in Week 1 and mentor him if he is.
Re-signing Daniel Jones could make sense, but the free agency pool is filled with those guys. Among others, Andy Dalton, Joe Flacco, Jameis Winston, Taylor Heinicke, Jacoby Brissett, and Jimmy Garappolo will be available.
McCarthy will turn 22 on Monday.
6 Quick Reactions: Vikings at Rams
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