Questions Answered: The Great QB Debate, Winning the NFC North, Vikings Pro Bowlers
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the December 13th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Questions Answered: The Great QB Debate, Winning the NFC North, Vikings Pro Bowlers
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
Q: Do you think Minnesota should just keep Sam Darnold and let J.J. McCarthy mature for a few years or perhaps even trade McCarthy for a 1st-Rounder?
Answer: No.
Darnold will hit free agency in March, and teams like the New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, or Tennessee Titans could explore his asking price. If Matthew Stafford retires, the Los Angeles Rams are also a fascinating franchise to monitor.
Darnold is on pace for roughly 4,300 passing yards, 38 total touchdowns, and 13 interceptions this season. That production will probably fetch him a contract between $40-$50 million in 2025.
The Vikings can’t afford Darnold. Or, if they can, we’re right back to the Kirk Cousins conundrum — paying a non-elite quarterback impressive money with few funds to build a roster around the quarterback.
Minnesota won’t deviate from the McCarthy plan. They love him. There is perhaps a 5% chance that Darnold takes another team-friendly deal with the Vikings, but otherwise, folks should consider him a one-hit wonder.
Of course, the plot would thicken if Darnold led Minnesota to a Super Bowl.
Q: Do you think it’s realistic to catch the Lions and win the NFC North?
Answer: Probably not.
Minnesota must win out or at least have the same record as Detroit when the clubs clash in Week 18. That would mean the purple would have to go undefeated in the next three games, while the Lions lose to the Bills, Bears, or 49ers.
In theory, Detroit could faceplant, but we just don’t see it, barring a Jared Goff injury.
We’re content with the fifth playoff season in a year when Minnesota was only supposed to win six or seven games.
Q: How many Pro Bowlers will Minnesota have?
Answer: Let’s say six.
Our predictions:
- Justin Jefferson
- Andrew DePaola
- Byron Murphy
- Andrew Van Ginkel
- Sam Darnold
- Brian O’Neill
The bottom two — Darnold and O’Neill — might need the Pro Bowl roster to thin due to injury or otherwise, but let’s pencil them in as alternates who make it.
Jonathan Greenard is another name to monitor.
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 MIN 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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