The J.J. McCarthy Era Has Officially Arrived in Minnesota
During the 2024 offseason, while some Vikings celebrated the departure of Kirk Cousins, others were distraught.
It meant true uncertainty at the quarterback position, and for almost one full calendar year, that uncertainty has remained. However, we could be getting close to an answer as it is looking like we will soon find out how J.J. McCarthy, drafted to ultimately take over the long-term role, can perform under the biggest of spotlights.
Get Ready for J.J. McCarthy Under Center
The McCarthy era officially got underway in Minnesota on Tuesday, barring any hasty signings of Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson.
That is because Daniel Jones has agreed to terms on a one-year, $14 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts for 2025, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
This comes after Sam Darnold grabbed his own bag in free agency, agreeing to a three-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks after Seattle traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. Darnold had a superb bounce back season in Minnesota during 2024, and now, he will get a chance to turn around a Seahawks team that finished 10-7 and narrowly missed out on the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
As such, McCarthy and Brett Rypien are the only QBs left on Minnesota’s roster after Nick Mullens also signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday, and he is set to take on the starting role for the first time in his NFL career,
The Vikings traded up to take the Michigan Wolverine with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft, so it should have been expected that McCarthy would take over the starting role at some point. It very well could have happened last year had he not torn his meniscus during the preseason opener.
The plan is now set to come to fruition, and it couldn’t be setting itself up to be a much better spot for McCarthy. After Ryan Kelly and Will Fries both agreed to contracts with Minnesota, the Vikings have improved two spots on their interior offensive line, and the duo of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave should give the Vikings terrific pass rushing production from the interior of their defensive line.
The McCarthy era has arrived, folks, and it’s looking like it could be a fun one.
Vikings Free Agent Tracker | 2025
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