I think it’s pretty fair to accept that the Minnesota Vikings have taken a bit of a beating when it comes to their quarterback.
This time last year, they were marching toward the playoffs, finishing the regular season 14-3 with Sam Darnold at the helm.
This time, the Vikings are 4-8, it’s a losing season, and they don’t have a long-term answer at quarterback.
Before the 2024 season, the Vikings drafted JJ McCarthy in the first round, and it’s clear their long-term commitment is to the young passer from Michigan. But Darnold had a great season last year and could have gotten the job if the Vikings wanted to show their commitment to him.
Sam Darnold led the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs and an impressive 14-3 record in 2024.
Darnold is only 28 years old, so he could play at the top of his game under Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell for another 10 or 12 years.
But the Vikings drafted McCarthy and felt they needed to give him a chance to see the field to, I guess, back up their belief that he was the man going forward in Minnesota.
That doesn’t seem to be the case now. Reports over the weekend suggested the Vikings offered a contract in the region of $100.5 million that Darnold received from the Seattle Seahawks, but the commitment was only for one year, as opposed to three with the Seahawks. There was a way out for the Vikings.
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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold throws the ball to receiver Jackson Smith-Njigba, who comes down with it and returns it for a 63-yard score against the Tennessee Titans
They wanted Darnold in the short term, but still believed McCarthy was their guy, so Darnold went to Seattle, where he’s flourishing.
He’s approaching 3,000 passing yards on the year, has 19 touchdowns and a 103.1 quarterback rating, while the Vikings have looked lost without him.
McCarthy has just six touchdown passes in six games, 10 interceptions and a 57.9 quarterback rating. Max Brosmer came in last week against the Seahawks and didn’t throw a touchdown pass, instead throwing four interceptions.
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Sky Sports NFL expert Phoebe Schecter discusses Minnesota Vikings quarterback situation after Carson Wentz impresses in relief of JJ McCarthy
Carson Wentz was the best of the bunch this season when he played in five games, but even then he only threw six touchdown passes. The combined quarterback rating for the Vikings this season is 69.1, bolstered by a perfect rating from running back Cam Akers, who threw for a touchdown on his only attempt of the year.
The big problem here is, where do the Vikings go next? Because there is a possibility that McCarthy is not the answer.
He looked lost and overwhelmed on too many occasions, and that backs up what I saw in training camp before the season started.
What I heard in training camp from reporters on the field is that McCarthy is not at the level required in the NFL right now.
Can Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, dubbed the “quarterback whisperer,” turn things around with JJ McCarthy at the helm?
The good news for the Vikings is that he is only 22 years old and they have time, but they had a bird in their hand in the form of Darnold.
Perhaps they were put off by the way last season ended with a Week 18 loss to the Detroit Lions and then an early playoff exit to the Los Angeles Rams.
But I think Darnold has shown that he continues to produce at a high level and, working with O’Connell, would keep the Vikings in contention this year.
That’s another concern when it comes to McCarthy: He has a great quarterback as his head coach, and he still looks like he’s going against 12 or 13 men on defense every week.
So do the Vikings go back into the draft and take another quarterback? Are they building around McCarthy? Or do they roll the dice on another free agent or potential trade?
My gut says they need to build a strong offensive line – which has been poor for all three quarterbacks this year – since they have weapons at the skill position, and should give McCarthy time.
But all of the performances he’s putting up for Minnesota right now are set against the backdrop of them still being able to have Darnold and competing for the playoffs this December.
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