There’s a J.J. McCarthy Plot Twist
The Minnesota Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy as the quarterback of the future in April, but in July, he might be vying for a QB3 job — not QB1 or QB2.
There’s a J.J. McCarthy Plot Twist
That’s the buzz this week, with Vikings training camp about 12 days away. For now, veteran journeyman Sam Darnold is on deck to start at QB1, but an unsung storyline in Eagan soon might be McCarthy’s battling for QB2. Right after the draft, most fans envisioned McCarthy vying for QB1 as a rookie.
KFAN’s Paul Allen, the voice of the Vikings, mentioned McCarthy’s stakes this week on his show. “I would make it prohibitively favored in that it would be Sam Darnold starting, Nick Mullens as the backup, and then J.J. McCarthy as the 3rd QB … But this is an opportunity for McCarthy,” Allen said Monday.
Last year, Mullens served as QB2 after healing from an early-season injury and evidently may be on track for the same assignment in 2024. Mullens turned heads last year for his ability to get the ball downfield — often seamlessly — but committed too many reckless turnovers for sustainability.
Allen added, “Puncher’s chance would be too strong, but long-ish shot fashion to win the two jobs in training camp. And I don’t necessarily know if it’s going to happen, but I would make 3 QBs on the active roster prohibitively favored.”
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah scooped McCarthy out of Round 1 with the 10th overall pick after a trade up the board with the New York Jets. It’s a new era in the Twin Cities, as Kirk Cousins left for the Atlanta Falcons in March. Naturally, fans want McCarthy to thrive sooner rather than later and would vocally endorse a rapid ascension to QB1 — not a QB3 relegation.
McCarthy is the highest-drafted quarterback in franchise history. Before April 25th, Minnesota had never used a Top 10 pick on a passer, but it’s a new day with McCarthy in the house. If he somehow dethrones Darnold for the QB1 job this summer, the young Wolverine would become the first rookie quarterback ever to start a Week 1 game for the Vikings.
At minicamp, head coach Kevin O’Connell made it quite clear — without provocation — that Darnold would likely start in Week 1 for the purple team. O’Connell said about QB1 as Darnold’s gig to lose: “We haven’t had to put out a depth chart or anything like that, but I would say Sam would be the guy I would look to based on the spring he’s had and, really, where he’s at in his career and his quarterback journey, and what he’s been able to do coming in and [hitting] the ground running and taking advantage of the competitive situation.”
In that vein, Allen’s theory feels correct: Darnold as the QB1 for sure, with McCarthy’s outlook up in the air.
McCarthy has the NFL’s fourth-best odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year (+1000).
The Vikings’ regular season is 61 days away.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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