The Minnesota Vikings will play the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round of the 2024 NFL playoffs. But the Vikings have significant questions to answer about QBs Daniel Jones, J.J. McCarthy, and Sam Darnold.
Jones’ late arrival has left his future the most nebulous. Darnold was the team’s starter during their historic 2024 season, leaving his and McCarthy’s respective futures in question.
ESPN’s Benjamin Solak predicts one of Darnold or McCarthy will land with Jones’ former team.
“Big prediction for the offseason: The Giants aren’t just desperate for a new quarterback — they’re also desperate for a big offseason win to wash the taste of the Saquon Barkley debacle out of their mouth,” Solak wrote on January 6. “Whichever quarterback the Vikings don’t commit to — either free agent-to-be Sam Darnold or injured rookie J.J. McCarthy — will end up in New York and be the starting quarterback in 2025.”
The veteran, Darnold is on a one-year, $10 million contract. He earned Pro Bowl honors this season and is due a significant raise this coming offseason because of it. But there are questions about whether the Vikings are or even should be willing to retain him at any cost.
The Giants drafted Jones with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 draft. They waived him after six seasons and a 24-44 career record. He is poised to replace whoever leaves as the Vikings’ QB2.
Projections have Darnold’s next deal starting at $100 million over multiple seasons. Over The Cap projects the Vikings to have $75.5 million to spend this offseason. But with other roster needs, and Darnold’s short track record of success, the choice is not easy.
Vikings Warned Against Paying Sam Darnold After QB’s Week 18 Collapse
GettySam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings scrambles against the Detroit Lions.
Darnold has set numerous career highs this season, and his 14 wins are the most in NFL history for a quarterback in the first year with a new team.
At the very least, Darnold has forced the Vikings to re-think their initial plans.
However, his performance in Week 18 left a polarizing impression in NFL circles.
ESPN’s Ryan Clark pointed out how poorly Darnold fared when faced with pressure against the Detroit Lions in Week 18. The Vikings’ QB went 4-of-18 (22.2%) for 70 yards when the Lions pressured him, per Pro Football Focus.
He was notably worse when they did not blitz. He went 8-for-22 (36.4%) for 44 yards when the Lions sent a standard rusher and 10-for-19 (52.6%) for 122 yards when they sent a blitz.
Fox Sports 1’s Colin Cowherd attributed Darnold’s poor showing to a charged Lions team.
However, Fantasy Life’s Thor Nystrom gave an impassioned argument against rewarding Darnold for his performance this season, which the analyst called the “statistical manifestation of his circumstances.”
Vikings Could Recoup Assets in J.J. McCarthy Trade
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up before a preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The inherent risk of keeping Darnold is to McCarthy’s development, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 draft, who the Vikings traded up to land.
However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes the Vikings could get back what they traded to the New York Jets to move up one spot in the draft to take McCarthy and then some if they made him available for trade.
McCarthy was expected to be given a chance to wrestle the starting job away from Darnold in the preseason and even during the regular season.
His season-ending injury put those plans on hold.
McCarthy has been involved with the Vikings’ game-planning, and he has the full support of Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. That is the most important endorsement of all, especially given the head coach’s history.
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