Kevin O’Connell All but Confirms Vikings QB Plan
J.J. McCarthy is in line to take over the QB1 spot for the Minnesota Vikings.
Kevin O’Connell All but Confirms Vikings QB Plan
That’s the latest and greatest takeaway from the Vikings’ offseason, courtesy of head coach Kevin O’Connell, who spoke rather candidly about his team’s quarterback plan in the next few months.
“We drafted him 10th overall for a reason,” O’Connell told CBS Sports on Saturday about McCarthy, his 22-year-old passer.
Minnesota employed Sam Darnold in 2024 after McCarthy tore his meniscus in the preseason. McCarthy played wonderfully that August afternoon, slicing and dicing the Las Vegas Raiders’ defense in an exhibition bout, and a few days later, he hit the shelf for the season. Vikings fans realized they “couldn’t have nice things.”
O’Connell added, “I believe Sam has played himself into being kind of the marquee free-agent quarterback available. I do believe that his teammates and coaches and, our front office, and myself would love to have Sam back in Minnesota. But at the same time we do feel very confident in J.J. McCarthy. He’s healthy.”
The coach’s comments arrived after a late-week firestorm at the NFL’s Award Ceremony. Out of nowhere, a Detroit Lions reporter named Dave Birkett quoted O’Connell on Thursday night, claiming the Vikings skipper outwardly wanted Darnold back with the franchise in 2025 and that when Minnesota eventually wins a Super Bowl, Darnold will have a large role.
Birkett posted the false quote soon after the event: “Kevin O’Connell in his Coach of the Year news conference: Our goal is to win a championship and Sam Darnold is going to be a huge part of it when we do it. Sure sounds like Vikings want to ride with Darnold next year.”
The problem? O’Connell was speaking about wide receiver Justin Jefferson — not Sam Darnold (Birkett went on to acknowledge the error).
Before video evidence emerged, other reporters relied on Birkett’s tweet as gospel because the man has a sterling reputation outside of the fake quote tweet. O’Connell replied when asked about it and seemed befuddled.
He said: “I don’t necessarily think that was 100 percent accurate. It was in the spirit of answering a question about Sam’s season and what he was able to do this year. And then the follow up in regards to what it’s going to take to win a championship. Look, you guys know how I feel about Sam. He is a guy who we identified last year as someone who could come in and be successful, and really no matter where he was before he arrived, it was about maximizing our time together. And I think we did that.”
O’Connell added, “I think it was a very special year for Sam, and what that earned him is that everybody in our league thinks he’s a bonafide, legitimate starting quarterback in our league and can win a lot of football games. He won 14 of them. So, he’s earned the right to be a free agent. But we will continue to have ongoing dialogue and discussions with him and his representation as well as being really excited about J.J. McCarthy, and where he’s at in his rehab.”
Therefore, onlookers of Vikings football went a couple of days thinking Darnold would return for a Super Bowl push. But after the CBS Sports interview, the plan very much seemed like a McCarthy at QB1 strategy.
Darnold is expected to test free agency in four weeks and can likely fetch a contract worth $40+ million per season. Teams such as the Las Vegas Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, or New York Giants could express interest.
Sportsbooks also believe that McCarthy will be the Vikings’ QB1 in 2025. The team could re-up with Daniel Jones at QB2, a cast-off from the New York Giants who landed on Minnesota’s roster in December.
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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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