ESPN Claims Vikings QB Will End Up with Giants
The everpresent “Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy” debate for the Minnesota Vikings took a sharp turn Sunday night when Darnold, the veteran, crumbled in a pivotal game at the Detroit Lions.
ESPN Claims Vikings QB Will End Up with Giants
Minnesota lost 31-9 and failed to earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed, homefield advantage, and the NFC North crown. Darnold played woefully but can get back on track Monday night at the Los Angeles Rams in a Wildcard playoff tilt.
And according to ESPN, either Darnold or McCarthy will head to the New York Giants in the offseason, says Benjamin Solak. Before the loss at Detroit, a healthy sect of Vikings fans had warmed up to keeping Darnold in 2025, no matter what.
Solak wrote this week: “Big prediction for the offseason: The Giants aren’t just desperate for a new quarterback — they’re also desperate for a big offseason win to wash the taste of the Saquon Barkley debacle out of their mouth. Whichever quarterback the Vikings don’t commit to — either free agent-to-be Sam Darnold or injured rookie J.J. McCarthy —will end up in New York and be the starting quarterback in 2025.”
Ironically, Minnesota actually has the Giants’ previous quarterback, Daniel Jones, on its practice squad. Jones and New York decided to part ways several weeks ago, and the Vikings pounced on Jones, perhaps to utilize him as a QB2 in 2025.
The Vikings are severely unlikely to trade McCarthy, the man they nominated as the quarterback of the future last April. So, Solak’s theory can reasonably be interpreted as a Darnold-to-New York prediction.
Much of the Darnold v. McCarthy debate will hinge on Darnold’s postseason performance(s) in five days. Darnold played dreadfully against the Lions in Week 18, and if he produced a similar game in Los Angeles, Minnesota’s brass and the team’s fanbase may have no problem letting him vamoose via open free agency.
A playoff win or two, on the other hand, would lift the debate to new heights, especially during the first month of the offseason.
As for the Giants, general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll will be back in 2025, and the duo might have to “win now.” The tandem may not have time to wait on a rookie’s development. Or, at the very least, the Giants could draft a prospect like Cam Ward while onboarding Darnold for another bridge quarterback assignment.
Some Vikings fans have also discussed the idea of franchise-tag-and-trade for Darnold, which might net Minnesota a 2nd- or 3rd-Round draft pick.
Darnold played at MetLife Stadium, which is shared by the Giants and Jets, for three seasons.
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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