A quarterback prospect who is selected by an NFL team in the first round through trade usually doesn’t have to wait long to make their official debut in the regular season. The Minnesota Vikings, who moved up to choose J.J. McCarthy 10th overall, may have other plans.
Sam Darnold has been hyped by the Vikings since day one as a top contender for comeback player of the year and as the ideal chance to restart his nascent NFL career.
After all, the former No. 3 pick has never had the opportunity to compete in a system with superstar talent like Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and Jordan Addison, who is a budding star. It will also be easier with Aaron Jones, a running back who has played in the Pro Bowl.
Darnold had a scorching Vikings minicamp, where he supposedly threw just one interception, to heighten the anticipation. Legend has it that he wasn’t even at blame.
What about J.J. McCarthy, though? That story remains the same, though. The youngest quarterback prospect selected in the 2024 draft class, at the age of 21, was taken by the Vikings despite his college coach never allowing him to throw the ball. He won’t be prepared instantly. We, as supporters, will need to exercise patience. How understanding?
What are the chances that the Minnesota Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy will start the opening game?
While everyone is excited to see what Jim Harbaugh believes to be the greatest quarterback in Michigan Wolverines history can accomplish as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer sees the writing on the wall inside the Vikings’ stadium.
In response to mailbag queries on Wednesday, Breer stated that, absent an injury, there’s very little chance McCarthy will be starting before Week 1. He estimates that there is a 10% possibility the rookie will start the season at quarterback.
By all accounts, the Vikings want to give Darnold every opportunity to take the starting job until McCarthy clearly demonstrates that he is better suited to help the team win games.
However, some people continue to fervently think that McCarthy will become the Vikings’ starting quarterback this season. Many will even argue with you if he starts Minnesota’s September 8 regular-season opener against the Giants.
That person is Sam Darnold.
However, unless what we are hearing from TCO Performance Center is false, that doesn’t seem realistic to those of us who have been following the Minnesota Vikings quarterback depth chart. The Vikings won’t bench the recently signed Darnold to see what they have in their rookie; instead, they want McCarthy to prove himself every step of the way. It’s not only about J.J. This concerns head coach Kevin O’Connell and his strategy for the two quarterbacks.
Even while everyone wants to see McCarthy emerge as the Vikings’ starting quarterback, it makes far more sense to watch to see if they can recoup part of their investment if Darnold emerges as the team’s next Baker Mayfield reclamation project and becomes a star. Put another way, the Vikings’ abundance of quarterback options is a good problem.
Leave a Reply