Vikings New QB Reveals Jersey Number
The Minnesota Vikings flipped the script this offseason, saying goodbye to Kirk Cousins after six somewhat successful seasons.
Vikings New QB Reveals Jersey Number
Many wondered after Cousins left for Atlanta, who would replace the 35-year-old, and six weeks later, Minnesota decided that man would be Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah grabbed the University of Michigan alumnus with the 10th overall pick last Thursday after a trade with the New York Jets, and voila, the Vikings have their hopeful franchise quarterback. They’ve searched via the draft for 40-50 years.
Of course, the hype surrounding McCarthy is out of control, just four days after joining the club. And in fairness to Vikings fans, they’re not alone. Too, folks have wondered about McCarthy’s jersey number, as the options were quite limited. Notable available numbers were 2, 8, 17, and 19.
Well, the club apparently made an exception because McCarthy told KFAN’s Paul Allen on Monday that he’ll wear the No. 9, his collegiate number at Michigan.
Before Monday, wide receiver Trishton Jackson owned the number, but when a franchise quarterback strolls through the door, he can evidently call his shot. Either that or Jackson was gracious enough to give up the number. The details are unclear.
Wearing the No. 9, it is also unknown when McCarthy will take over the QB1 scepter. It could be this September. It may be in the middle of the season. Perhaps it’ll be Week 1 of 2025.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert explained on Friday, “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.”
Minnesota has the perk of employing Sam Darnold, a free agent signed in March. He’ll be compensated up to $10 million, which isn’t a small sum for a backup quarterback. The Vikings are likely to roll with Darnold early in 2024, and if the season trends poorly, McCarthy could see rookie action at some point. There’s also the chance that McCarthy blows up this summer — in a good way — and grabs the job right away. Stay tuned.
Throughout Vikings history, a handful of notable quarterbacks have worn No. 9, including Tommy Kramer, Jim McMahon, and Brooks Bollinger.
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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