Vikings QB Battle Undergoes Major Transformation

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J.J. McCarthy with the Minnesota Vikings practice highlights from OTA No. 2 of 2024, which took place at the TCO Performance Center. The Minnesota VIkings used the 10th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft to select McCarthy after a trade up the board with the New York Jets.

For the first time in a decade, the Minnesota Vikings have an honest-to-goodness quarterback battle at training camp. The last time was three years before the Mankato venue shuttered.

Vikings QB Battle Undergoes Major Transformation

Heading into the event, Sam Darnold represented the odds-on favorite to win the opening week QB1 job, a title he still probably owns at the moment out of experience.

QB battle
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy addressed the media from the TCO Performance Center during 2024 Training Camp. July 26, 2024. The Vikings drafted McCarthy in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft with the 10th overall pick. He takes over for Kirk Cousins.

But the tide is turning.

Down the line — on the field, in front of a microphone, and with his leadership — J.J. McCarthy has aced the test as a rookie in his first week of training camp, so much so that head coach Kevin O’Connell coined his two combatants as “even” on Tuesday.

O’Connell told reporters about the quarterback depth chart, “As far as that depth chart in that room, I think it’s clear and obvious — like you guys do; you make the commitment to come out every day — you see it’s pretty darn even between Sam and J.J. And in many cases, J.J. getting a couple more [reps] with our ability to add some developmental stuff for the guys down the line.”

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Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.

O’Connell also complimented Nick Mullens, who started four games for the club in 2023. The head coach seemed to object to a typical three-man quarterback depth chart, insinuating that the “rule” isn’t etched in stone.

On McCarthy, the man joined the Vikings as a 1st-Round pick — 10th overall, in fact — but his acclimation to the offense has occurred at a breakneck pace in recent days. He’s 21 years old, and Minnesota’s leadership stated all offseason its emphasis on patience regarding his maturation.

Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.

Right after the draft, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert mentioned a checklist that would be used to assess McCarthy’s game-readiness. “The Vikings will follow an individualized development plan they created for each of the quarterbacks they considered drafting, one that requires McCarthy to hit specific benchmarks and gives coach Kevin O’Connell full authority to make the timing decision,” Seifert wrote on April 26th.

The Vikings’ general manager and head coach were in cahoots about not rushing McCarthy onto the field, a fair strategy to endorse. However, if McCarthy is already snagging first-team reps while classified as an “even” competitor with Darnold, well, his takeover could happen sooner rather than later.

McCarthy personally told reporters last week, “I’m just focused on learning to get better, and improve the weakness that I have with my game and learn my teammates’ strengths and try to amplify them every chance I get. We’re off to a great start so far. My ultimate goal is to get the most out of every single day. When the time comes, it comes. I’m just training every single day so that when that time does come, I’m going to be ready.”

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

Darnold remains the favorite to start at the New York Giants in 40 days, according to oddsmakers, but McCarthy’s closing of the gap — if there ever was one in the first place — is vivid.

For perspective, fans could be reading tweets like this about McCarthy:

But they are not.


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, ‘T’e 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.