Vikings Have a Sweet Breakout Candidate
The Minnesota Vikings had a fantastic 2024 season. Although the final result was disappointing, the franchise exceeded expectations throughout the year, and it’s quite easy to be optimistic about the future.
Vikings Have a Sweet Breakout Candidate
In that 2024 campaign, some players had their breakout seasons. First and foremost is Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro Andrew Van Ginkel, who was a rotational player with the Dolphins but an immediate star after reuniting with former head coach Brian Flores.
Sam Darnold surely deserves a mention, too. The quarterback threw for 35 touchdowns in the regular season and has successfully revived his career. Unfortunately, the final two games will blur those first 16 contests.
Who could be a breakout player in the upcoming season? PFF’s Bradley Locker envisions Darnold’s successor, J.J. McCarthy, as that guy.
With Sam Darnold a pending free agent, the Vikings feel likely to hand the reins to McCarthy, whom they’ve touted as their quarterback of the future. In his lone preseason start before a season-ending torn meniscus, McCarthy produced an excellent 84.0 PFF passing grade with a 75.0% adjusted completion rate. McCarthy’s play-action and rushing success should make him a perfect fit in Kevin O’Connell’s system, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise if he played well as soon as next year.
McCarthy arrived in the Twin Cities as the highest-drafted quarterback in franchise history with a national championship on his resume. He brings numerous thrilling attributes (physical and mental), and coaches and teammates immediately fell in love with him.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell has shown that he can get the best out of his quarterbacks, especially by letting them be themselves while amplifying their strengths.
Joshua Dobbs operated a different offense than Kirk Cousins, and Nick Mullens looked totally different compared to that. Darnold was allowed to do what he does best: stand in the pocket, scramble around, and throw the ball down the field.
McCarthy has the physical and mental tools to do the same thing, but he adds even more athleticism to the plate. He also has the upside of being more accurate and going quicker through his reads, but that might take some time.
The first step, however, is to get back to 100% after tearing his meniscus in August. A subsequent surgery cost him his entire rookie season, but according to his general manager, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, he has made his return to the football field and began throwing the ball.
“He’s on the field, throwing and training,” Adofo-Mensah said. “He looks great. You talk about a kid who’s just obsessed with football and loves being around the game. We’re excited about what we have in him. We’re excited about this offseason for him.”
The second step is for him to claim the starting role. That, of course, depends on Darnold’s future. Regardless of his late-season regression, he is likely the stronger quarterback at this point. Experience is crucial in the NFL, and Darnold has more of that.
On the flip side, he will likely command a salary of $30 or $40 million per season and is six years older than McCarthy. Those two things could be the deciding factor.
If he then enters the season as the QB1, he needs to play well to be a breakout player. The good news is that O’Connell will be in his ear, and the QB-whisperer label has to come from somewhere. In addition to that, he will throw the ball to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson. What could go wrong?
Another element is the offensive line. Although Christian Darrisaw’s status will be a mystery all offseason, he will return to the field at some point, and Brian O’Neill’s presence on the right side will help, too. The Vikings also seem likely to prioritize the interior offensive line in the offseason.
McCarthy’s arm strength and mobility left reporters and fans in awe during training camp, and he flashed his skills in his lone preseason game.
O’Connell said after informing folks about his 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.”
It’s hard to put any trust into a first-year starter who hasn’t even been confirmed as the starter, but if he does indeed enter the season as QB1, there’s a good chance he will succeed in this offense.
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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