PFF Names Vikings’ Next Breakout Player
The Minnesota Vikings won 14 games in 2024, far exceeding regular season expectations but flopping in the postseason when it mattered the most.
PFF Names Vikings’ Next Breakout Player
So, in a hurry, all attention turned toward the 2025 season, as the 2024 campaign featured sweetness and saltiness.
Pro Football Focus began the peek ahead this week, nominating each NFL team for a player breakout in 2025, and for Minnesota, that man was [predictably] J.J. McCarthy.
“With Sam Darnold a pending free agent, the Vikings feel likely to hand the reins to McCarthy, whom they’ve touted as their quarterback of the future. In his lone preseason start before a season-ending torn meniscus, McCarthy produced an excellent 84.0 PFF passing grade with a 75.0% adjusted completion rate,” PFF’s Bradley Locker explained.
McCarthy joined the Vikings’ roster via the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft, on deck as the team’s would-be savior and quarterback of the future. However, when the first preseason game rolled around, McCarthy tore his meniscus, ending his once-promising rookie campaign. The aforementioned Darnold took over and delivered 36 total touchdowns before faceplanting in the season’s final two games.
Most expect Darnold to depart the organization this offseason, clearing the way for McCarthy to take his QB1 job.
Locker added, “McCarthy’s play-action and rushing success should make him a perfect fit in Kevin O’Connell’s system, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise if he played well as soon as next year.”
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah spoke positively about McCarthy’s injury recovery last week, indicating the young passer had encountered no major hiccups. “He’s on the field, throwing and training. He looks great. He’s excited. You talk about a kid who’s just obsessed with football and loves being around the game. So, we’re excited about what we have in him. We’re excited for this offseason for him. It’s a big offseason. And then, we’ll continue from there,” Adofo-Mensah said.
“But I can’t sit here and tell you I know anything for certain. I know that I’m willing to believe in the person that we have. That position is about talent and preparation — and he’s got those things in spades. So, if that’s the course of action we decide, we’ll go in there confidently,” he added.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the choice is fairly clear: Minnesota will hand the baton to McCarthy, sticking to the original plan. “I believe Sam Darnold will still draw real interest this offseason — and a little competition can quickly drive up his price — but I have a hard time seeing him back in Minnesota. J.J. McCarthy is the future,” Schultz tweeted last week.
More “breakout” player theories will emerge throughout the offseason for the Vikings, but none will quite compare to McCarthy.
McCarthy turned 22 this week.
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.
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