Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) and head coach Kevin O'Connell react before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
The NFL season hit a midpoint at the end of last week, and the Minnesota Vikings are sitting pretty at 6-2.
The club has wonderful odds of reaching the postseason, and then “we shall see” what happens in the postseason tournament.
Quietly, the Vikings also aren’t far from beginning quarterback plans for 2025. Three to four months away, in fact.
So, here’s a peek at Minnesota’s quarterback options, ranked in ascending order of likelihood (No. 1 = most likely QB plan).
Depending on how well the rest of the season and postseason go for Minnesota, Sam Darnold could be welcomed back as QB1, with J.J. McCarthy watching in yet another growth season from the sidelines.
It’s the least likeliest of options but must be mentioned.
Why is it unlikely? Well, Darnold is on pace for 4,038 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, and 15 touchdowns. He will parlay that into a $40+ million contract — somewhere. The Vikings may not be able to afford it.
But the option is certainly there: basically a “do-over” of summer 2024.
This alternative might be tricky — because of money.
Sam Darnold’s 9-Game Pace,
Scaled to Rest of Season:
Those numbers will fetch Darnold a contract of $40 million or more next season. The Vikings can’t afford that.
Still, there’s a chance Minnesota finds a way to take the plunge, or Darnold accepts a reduced payday by quarterback standards. Summer would entail a quarterback battle, with McCarthy winning the competition and Minnesota employing the best backup passer (Darnold) in all of football.
Because Darnold can command the aforementioned $40+ million on the open market next March, Minnesota declines to re-up with him, paving the way for the McCarthy Era in Minny.
Of course, the Vikings would have to scour the open market for a dependable QB2 or re-sign Nick Mullens. But generally speaking, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah drafted McCarthy for a reason in April — to start him as the QB1 for the next decade.
The Vikings love McCarthy, and the most likely QB1 option in 2025 is handing him the keys to the organization.
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.