Jul 27, 2022; Eagan, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell looks on at TCO Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.
Because Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy has excelled at training camp in the last week, the franchise has an honest-to-goodness quarterback battle on its hands.
From the moment McCarthy joined the purple team as the 10th overall pick three months ago, he was always on deck to take the QB1 scepter, though his takeover timetable remained (and remains) mysterious after Minnesota also signed veteran passer Sam Darnold in March.
Well, thanks to head coach Kevin O’Connell, onlookers learned a new criterion for the quarterback competition this week — how Darnold performs with second- and third-team offensive players.
“It will be good for Sam to mix in some of those other huddles besides just having Justin [Jefferson] and Jordan [Addison] and that offensive line,” O’Connell said Tuesday. “I want to see him go in and elevate that [second] group as well.”
McCarthy, the rookie, has wowed teammates and fans recently, very much looking the part of a young quarterback who can start sooner rather than later. Darnold, too, has performed mostly well at training camp, even if all eyes are on McCarthy because he’s the great hope for the future.
O’Connell also 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.”
Heading into training camp, Darnold was the sure-fire favorite to earn the QB1 job outright, but McCarthy appears to have closed the gap. Preseason games, the first of which is just 10 days away, will be another indicator of McCarthy’s game readiness.
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.
Darnold’s ability — or lack thereof — to uplift playmakers not named Jefferson and Addison checks out as a wise strategy amid the camp battle.
In his six-year career, Darnold has never quite experienced weaponry like Minnesota’s current setup and, accordingly, has never consistently taken off in the NFL as a long-term starter. McCarthy has worked substantially with the second-teamers in the first handful of practices, so it will be telling to see what Darnold can do with a similar setup.
If McCarthy dethrones Darnold for the top job later this summer, he will become the first rookie quarterback in Vikings history to start a Week 1 game for the franchise.
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.