ESPN Makes Formal QB Prediction for Vikings
Heading into the spring and summer, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold tentatively held the QB1 job, with rookie passer J.J. McCarthy waiting to take the mantle on an unknown date.
ESPN Makes Formal QB Prediction for Vikings
Then training camp arrived, and at least for a few days, McCarthy very much looked the part of a contender for Darnold’s job, complicating the quarterback battle that will play out in the next five weeks. And according to ESPN, Darnold will hold off McCarthy for the top job when the regular season begins.
“I see Darnold opening the season as the starter, which then raises the question of when the Vikings would switch to McCarthy,” ESPN’s Dan Graziano predicted this week. “We don’t know that answer, and it’s possible the Vikings don’t either, but they do have an early Week 6 bye that could offer a chance to make the change if McCarthy shows enough by then.”
The Vikings leadership hasn’t been shy this offseason about proclaiming McCarthy’s development as gradual, establishing “benchmarks” for the 21-year-old to meet before game-readiness. It’s just that McCarthy doesn’t look wildly unprepared so far this summer, heightening speculation that Minnesota could roll him as QB1 sooner rather than later.
“Coach Kevin O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah built specific developmental plans for several different draft-prospect quarterbacks before they knew for sure which one they’d draft, and they have one specifically tailored for McCarthy. They are insistent that McCarthy will not play until that plan is complete and he has hit every benchmark they’ve set forth for him,” Graziano added.
Even if the Vikings nominated Darnold out of the gate, there is precedent for rookie quarterback taking the baton earlier than most expect. For example, if Darnold struggles in Sepetmber, well, McCarthy could grab the torch in October.
Graziano noted on Darnold, “He began training camp atop the depth chart, and the Vikings are perfectly comfortable starting Darnold to open the season for as long as it takes for McCarthy to be ready to be an NFL starter. As of now, that is what they expect to happen.”
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said about Darnold vs. McCarthy one week ago, “I have no preconceived, pre-set chart depth chart in my mind. I said at the end of spring that Sam was the No. 1 quarterback.”
On the whole, Darnold will remain the odds-on favorite to lead the offense at the New York Giants on September 8th — ESPN’s prediction echoes the sentiment — but McCarthy cannot be ruled out. He has looked the part of a rookie QB1 so far.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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