ESPN Analyst Predicts Vikings and Giants to Complete the QB Swap
Last offseason, the Minnesota Vikings were the team to watch as quarterback Kirk Cousins was set to enter free agency. They ended up losing their six-year starter and pivoted toward the combination of Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy. Because of Darnold’s level of play in the 2024 season, Minnesota’s QB room will once again be in the spotlight.
ESPN Analyst Predicts Vikings and Giants to Complete the QB Swap
Darnold was originally signed to be Minnesota’s bridge quarterback between Cousins and a rookie QB, but due to McCarthy’s season-ending knee surgery, head coach Kevin O’Connell handed the keys to Darnold for the entire year.
To date, he has thrown for over 4,300 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Every Vikings fan would’ve been thrilled about those numbers just a few months ago.
But his success leads to a new problem: Should the Vikes really let go of a player who is capable of playing at a Pro Bowl level? In the past few weeks, opinions of people who believe the franchise should trade McCarthy and stick with Darnold have gotten louder. Others think sticking to the original plan makes more sense.
Regardless of the decision, one guy is the odd man out, and ESPN’s Ben Solak predicts that that guy will land with the New York Giants.
The analyst wrote, “The Giants aren’t just desperate for a new quarterback ‒ they’re also desperate for a big offseason win to wash the taste of the Saquon Barkley debacle out of their mouth. Whichever quarterback the Vikings don’t commit to ‒ either free agent-to-be Sam Darnold or injured rookie J.J. McCarthy ‒ will end up in New York and be the starting quarterback in 2025.”
Indeed, the Giants need a new quarterback. They handed Daniel Jones a four-year contract extension after his 2022 season and parted ways with him halfway through the 2024 campaign. Ironically, he is now on Minnesota’s 53-man roster.
The Giants are in a fascinating spot. Their last good QB was Eli Manning way back before his age-related decline. But their brass is facing the annoyance that the draft class doesn’t mirror last year’s talent, with only Cam Ward and Shadeur Sanders viewed as first-round prospects.
It’s a general belief that McCarthy would be the first QB taken off the board in this year’s class, which makes him an intriguing option for QB-needy teams. However, the Vikings know that, too. It should also be noted that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell acquired Michigan’s signal-caller as their long-term answer.
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.”
It’s highly unlikely that the 21-year-old would be available on the trade market.
Darnold, on the other hand, has played well enough to earn a significant contract in free agency. His recent stinker against the Lions might have slightly lowered the market price, but a couple of decent playoff contests can change that again.
For the Vikings, it might come down to whether he can deliver in those high-stakes moments. His next chance to convince the NFL, including Minnesota, to hand him the bag will arrive on Monday when the Vikings are scheduled to face the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the postseason.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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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