J.J. McCarthy Has One Request for the Vikings
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is healing from a torn meniscus suffered last summer in a preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
J.J. McCarthy Has One Request for the Vikings
The 22-year-old missed his entire rookie season due to the ailment but is tentatively on track to be ready for all Vikings activities this spring.
And the young passer has one request this offseason, speaking with Rich Eisen this week: he just wants his chance to lead the franchise.
“There’s a lot of things that are certainly above my pay grade and some things above his pay grade,” McCarthy replied when asked about his teammate Sam Darnold’s impending free agency. Darnold held down the QB1 position in 2024 during McCarthy’s absence, delivering 4,319 passing yards, 36 total touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. With the lights brightest, however, in Week 18 and the playoffs, Darnold’s performance fell off a cliff, and the Vikings exited the postseason tournament in the Wildcard Round.
McCarthy told Eisen, “All I could ask for is a fair opportunity. That’s the one thing I feel like everybody’s given and it’s fundamental. When money gets involved, things get complicated and reps get skewed and there’s different things that come into the whole political world that everyone talks about. I really just have to focus on controlling what I can control.”
“My feelings don’t matter. I’m not getting any grace. There’s no sympathy. This is the big leagues.”
Most Vikings fans expect the franchise to tab McCarthy as the Week 1 starter in September. Yet, there’s a chance that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah “has it both ways,” re-signing Darnold while McCarthy, in theory, watched and learned for another season.
McCarthy, not Darnold, is the overwhelming favorite to lead the Vikings in 2025. McCarthy has +350 odds to win the starter’s job, meaning a bettor would have to gamble $350 just to win $100 if McCarthy wins the gig.
ESPN recently reported that Minnesota had not made a final call on Darnold’s future in the Twin Cities. Jeremy Fowler wrote last weekend, “The Vikings have not yet made a firm determination on Sam Darnold’s future with the team. His strong play this season has caused them to pause and take a hard look at their options. Bringing him back feels like a stronger possibility than it was five or six months ago.”
If Fowler’s reporting is indeed accurate, McCarthy just wants a shot to compete against Darnold this summer — money and contracts be damned.
McCarthy and Vikings fans will learn Darnold’s fate soon. Free agency is five weeks away.
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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