Two days before rookies are scheduled to report to camp in Eagan, Minnesota, quarterback J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings have reached an agreement on a four-year, $21.85 million contract, according to several sites on Friday. ESPN reports that the deal, which has a $12.71 million signing bonus and a fifth-year option, is completely guaranteed. McCarthy led Michigan to the national championship and was selected with the tenth overall choice in the April draft. McCarthy is anticipated to face off against seasoned quarterback Sam Darnold for the starting position, but head coach Kevin O’Connell has stated that the Vikings won’t push McCarthy to play before he’s ready. McCarthy needs to show that “the comfort level that he has within our offense and his ability to then translate it to adverse situations and difficult aspects of playing quarterback in the NFL aren’t magnified by inexperience” before taking the starting job, according to O’Connell, who spoke with ESPN. McCarthy is 21 years old.
O’Connell stated, “But I want to be very clear that this player is not expected to be perfect.” He will experience growing pains and have to pick things up quickly. I am not attempting to eliminate that element either, but determining the time he will play is not something that can be written on a board. It’s an emotion. Kirk Cousins, an experienced player who signed with the Atlanta Falcons as a free agent in the offseason, is being replaced by the Vikings. Over the previous six seasons, he had a 50-37-1 record as the Minnesota starter. On September 8, Minnesota plays the New York Giants in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to kick off the 2024 season.
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