The J.J. McCarthy Changeover Has Begun
For weeks, there has been chatter about what the Minnesota Vikings will do with Sam Darnold.
The J.J. McCarthy Changeover Has Begun
The veteran signed a one-year deal for $10 million under the premise that he would be a bridge quarterback for an incoming rookie. That may have played out this season, but Darnold was too good.
The Vikings weren’t supposed to be good. They certainly weren’t supposed to win 14 games. They were in the hunt for a home playoff game and flirted with the best record in the NFC. All of that came on the arm of Darnold and, therefore, sparked consideration as to whether or not Minnesota should run it back.
When McCarthy was drafted, the entire thought process was to escape the salary cap hell Kirk Cousins had created with his gaudy contracts over the years. It would be foolish to recreate that scenario by inking Darnold to a big contract, and the Vikings do not appear inclined to do that.
If Darnold were given the franchise tag, it would likely be under the assumption he could be traded for assets. Either way, it’s now J.J. McCarthy’s team.
That doesn’t mean Minnesota has to, or will, start him on Week 1 in 2025. He is coming back from an unfortunate knee injury, but he should have ample time to heal and be 100% by next season. If O’Connell wants McCarthy to hold a clipboard for a game or two, that’s an understandable plan.
Realistically, and barring another injury, no one will start more games for the Minnesota Vikings next season than the Michigan product. McCarthy might not have been a prolific passer in college, but he didn’t need to be either. Jim Harbaugh has spoken glowingly of his talent, and it’s clear that Kevin O’Connell believes in him as well.
After watching how Darnold performed under O’Connell and with the weapons Minnesota has, it’s hard not to be excited about the youngster. McCarthy brings a substantially higher floor from a talent perspective, and he could elevate himself to being one of the better quarterbacks across the league in relatively short order.
For years, the Vikings have sought a franchise quarterback, which they selected and developed. McCarthy can be that, and it starts now.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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