Aug 2, 2024; Eagan, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) and quarterback Sam Darnold (14) warm up during practice at Vikings training camp in Eagan, MN. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
It might just be Sam Darnold, after all.
That’s the unspoken but written word from the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday following the first depth chart release of 2024.
In short, veteran Sam Darnold checked in as the unabashed QB1 — with rookie passer J.J. McCarthy evidently battling for a QB2 job, not QB1. McCarthy and Mullens are listed on the depth chart as “backups” in their own category, with second-year signal-caller Jaren Hall the apparent QB4. Darnold is the standalone QB1 — on paper.
The Vikings’ preseason begins on Saturday, hosting the Las Vegas Raiders — a team with a quarterback battle of its own — and all four passers (Darnold, McCarthy, Mullens, and Hall) should experience playing time. That isn’t disputed. It’s just that training camp has painted a different picture of McCarthy, the rookie, suggesting he could be ready for the bright lights of the regular season sooner than most expected.
Conversely, the first depth chart release dialed back pro-McCarthy enthusiasm, at least as a Week 1 starter. McCarthy will need a wonderful preseason and confidence from head coach Kevin O’Connell to dethrone Darnold in the next 33 days.
Last week, head coach Kevin 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.”
Declaring the battle as “even” wasn’t a situation most Vikings fans had on their radar in the spring. Most believed Darnold would shine above all else while hoping McCarthy would show glimpses of competence as a 21-year-old rookie. However, McCarthy has very much looked the part of a rookie who could start out of the gate.
O’Connell also expressed his belief in “playing the best player that gives you the best chance to win.” That tidbit gave McCarthy enthusiasts hope that he could take the QB1 baton against the Giants in September.
On the other hand, some credible Vikings-themed personalities foresaw a McCarthy-Mullens battle, not McCarthy-Darnold. Last month, Paul Allen, the voice of the Vikings, claimed that McCarthy could be battling for the QB2 job at training camp and in the preseason, a comment that turned heads because many want the youngster to start sooner rather than later.
Allen said, “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.”
He 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.”
Allen may have been on to something, vindicated by the depth chart release with Darnold as the clear-cut starter, while McCarthy duels for QB2.
The Vikings have never started a rookie quarterback in Week 1 of a season.
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.