The Minnesota Vikings are moving on from Sam Darnold and turning to talented, #10 overall pick in 2024, JJ McCarthy this offseason – particularly given his expected return to training early this coming offseason.
Right?
The conventional wisdom is that Darnold will be shipped off to one of the many teams – probably in the AFC – who needs a quarterback.
Bottom feeders had record bad year, with 10 teams having 5 or fewer wins this past year, double the number in 2023 (5). Unsurprisingly, much of that had to do with poor QB play, and with an upcoming quarterback draft class that leaves much to be desired, it seems only rational that the Vikings would trade away their prized signal caller at the peak of his value (minus the last two games of the season), and maximize their compensation for it. +
Vikings Predicted To Sign
However, it might not be that straightforward. Ben Solak of ESPN believes that Minnesota will take an alternative approach to their QB dilemma.
“His unexpectedly brilliant season on a one-year contract could change their short- and possibly long-term plans at the position. J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 pick of the 2024 draft, is expected to be fully healed from a meniscus injury in his right knee that kept him out all season. But can the Vikings really let Darnold walk out the door after the season he had at age 27?…
I really, truly believe the Vikings will extend Darnold. They have the room for something in the Daniel Jones neighborhood — four years, $160 million is probably optimal, if they can get Darnold to sign that before another team in the free market offers him a whale of a deal. Depending on the size of the contract, they’ll either keep McCarthy or quietly look to trade him ahead of a bad quarterback draft class and see if a needy team takes the bait.”
Darnold’s age is a legitimate mitigating factor – whatever concerns about contract size, durability and more can be suppressed by the fact that the former #3 overall pick is still just 27 years of age – and is continuing to get better and better.
Coming out college, Darnold was a far better prospect than McCarthy, and makes up in additional arm strength all that he takes away in poor decision making.
JJ was a national champion with Michigan, but is totally unproven in the league – particularly when it comes to having to run an offense that is oriented on the pass, rather than the rush-dominant attack Jim Harbaugh designed at Ann Arbor.
Moreover, getting rid of Darnold could be trickier than initially imagined: If the Vikings decide to spend cold hard cash this offseason; which given their cap space ($61 million – 7th in NFL) and amount of starters who are set to become free agents (8), could well happen; the compensatory pick for losing Darnold could well be cancelled out by other acquisitions.
And if they franchise tag him, which will cost around $40 million, they may struggle to find a trade partner willing to give up significant draft capital for the the former Jet, and then pay him $40 million + per year.
So perhaps Solak is right, and the Vikings will take the low-risk option and re-sign Darnold to a long(ish) term deal, knowing that they still have their quarterback of the future waiting in the wings for his time to shine.
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