Vikings Blasted for “Absolutely Crazy” QB Decision
Even though the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks have the same win-loss record through five games, some can’t quite shake the fact that Minnesota allowed quarterback Sam Darnold to leave during the offseason.
It’s always easy to second-guess in hindsight, and that’s precisely what the masses are doing this week with the Vikings’ offseason decision-making.
Mike Sando of The Athletic dove deep last week, questioning if Minnesota was silly to kick Darnold out back in March. Nobody seems to care in October that Darnold crumbled — twice — when the Vikings needed him the most last year, instead pivoting to a revisionist history narrative.
The World Questions the Vikings’ QB Thought Process — aka Sam Darnold
Monday morning quarterbacking is currently in full effect.
The Athletic Publishes Whole Article Devoted to Vikings’ Offseason QB Decisions
Minnesota assessed its long-term plan in February and March, determining that J.J. McCarthy, a player it selected in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft, was the best and most affordable option.
And because Daniel Jones and Sam Darnold are balling with their new teams, it’s easy to point at the Vikings and wonder just what in the hell they were thinking.
Sando dug in last week: “There’s nothing wrong with an NFL team drafting a quarterback and giving him a long runway, tolerating ups and downs as part of a development plan. The young prospect sometimes beats the available alternatives anyway. Going this route is much tougher to stomach when a team is coming off a 14-win season and possessing the NFL’s most expensive roster, when the coach and general manager are pushing to win a playoff game for the first time entering their fourth season together.”
“But here the Minnesota Vikings are, having already lost nearly as many times in their first four games this season (twice) as they did in the 2024 regular season (three times), without feeling any better about their outlook. The two veteran quarterbacks on Minnesota’s roster last season, Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones, are playing the best ball of their careers for teams with 3-1 records.”
And that was just the tip of the iceberg.
One Anonymous Exec Called the Choice “Absolutely Crazy” to Let Go of Sam Darnold
Sando then got to the fun part, with an unnamed executive calling Minnesota crazy for its choices.
“I thought it was absolutely crazy what they did, and I thought it was crazy when they did it. To take a quarterback, Darnold, who won that many games, and to go to J.J. McCarthy, who you don’t know can play, I just don’t get it,” the anonymous contributor said.
One exec was more complimentary: “They’ve always sort of plugged a guy in, whether it was Warren Moon or Brett Favre or Randall Cunningham or whoever. I think they’ve usually made the right choices.”
Sando also personally scribed, “In moving on from Darnold and going with McCarthy, they joined the 2016 Denver Broncos as the only teams in the rookie wage scale era to tab a first-time starter in Week 1 after winning at least 10 games the previous season. Those Broncos didn’t have many great choices because Peyton Manning retired.”
“Denver let backup Brock Osweiler leave, which wound up looking like a wise decision, and traded up to draft Paxton Lynch at No. 26, which did not. Lynch was not ready to play early or, as it turned out, ever, making only four career starts. Darnold was far more productive for the Vikings last season than Osweiler ever was with Denver. That’s what made Minnesota’s decision to move on from him so fraught.”
The Sando article — remarkably — made no mention of Darnold’s asking price, which is the entire reason Minnesota didn’t re-sign him. Darnold ended up fetching $100.5 million from the Seahawks over the next three years, whereas Minnesota invested those exact funds in offensive linemen and defensive linemen.
The Vikings didn’t hate the idea of reuniting with Darnold, but for a team that just ended the Kirk Cousins era — mucho dinero afforded to good-but-not-great passer — McCarthy represented the best of all worlds. Affordability for 4-5 years. The option to build the trenches. And a ticket to cut ties with Darnold, who utterly faceplanted in the 2024 season’s most important moments.
Don’t Forget about Daniel Jones
Minnesota also didn’t re-up with Daniel Jones, and his team now has a 4-1 record — better than Seattle and Minnesota.
Jones is on pace for over 4,000 passing yards and about 27 touchdowns while his team has sliced and diced the AFC South.
Sando on Jones: “The Vikings offered $15 million per year to Jones, but he took $14 million from Indianapolis, presumably on the thinking that he could beat out Anthony Richardson easier than he could beat out McCarthy. Aaron Rodgers was another possibility, but Minnesota passed, giving McCarthy the clear path to start.”
It’s Up to J.J. McCarthy to Finish the Story
The crux of the alternative history centers on McCarthy.
If he blossoms into a long-term starter — and basically plays better than Darnold, especially in the postseason — the Vikings will be vindicated. Should McCarthy turn into a bust, well, Vikings faithful and NFL fans will look at the team like the Cleveland Browns, a team that let Baker Mayfield walk three years ago. Mayfield is now a Top 10 quarterback.
It’s really that simple. McCarthy has the power to prove the efficacy of Minnesota’s offseason decision-making.
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