Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy admitted during Super Bowl week that he needs “a good alternative” to compete for the beginning job, coming off the entire meniscus repair that sidelined him for his whole rookie season.
He might battle with present Minnesota starter Sam Darnold for the second straight summer season.
“He is earned the best to be a free agent, however we’ll proceed to have ongoing dialogue and discussions with him and his illustration,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell mentioned about Darnold on Thursday night time, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert shared.
It stays to be seen whether or not the Vikings will signal Darnold to a multiyear contract earlier than the brand new league yr opens on March 12 or stop him from reaching free company by retaining his rights for 2025 by way of the franchise tag. Both choice would make the 27-year-old way more costly than McCarthy, who will likely be on his rookie deal for a minimum of the following few seasons.
Whereas Darnold produced a pair of duds in Minnesota’s largest video games of the 2024 marketing campaign, he additionally helped the membership end Week 18 at 14-3. In keeping with Pro Football Reference, he ended the common season ranked fifth within the NFL with 4,319 passing yards, fifth with 35 touchdowns by the air and sixth amongst certified gamers with a 102.5 passer score.
“You guys understand how I really feel about Sam,” O’Connell defined. “He’s a man that we recognized final yr as any person who might are available and achieve success. And actually irrespective of the place he was at earlier than he arrived in his quarterback journey, it was about maximizing our time collectively. And I believe we did that, and I believe it was a really particular yr for Sam. And what that earned him is, all people in our league now thinks he is a bona fide reliable beginning quarterback and may win a variety of soccer video games.”
Whereas that looks as if fairly a vote of confidence relating to Darnold’s short-term future, O’Connell was certain to say that he is “actually excited ” about McCarthy’s restoration from the setback he suffered this previous August.
“He is actually hit the bottom working because the true offseason has begun,” O’Connell added in regards to the 2024 first-round draft choose.
The Vikings can afford to carry Darnold again, and historical past reveals that groups can by no means enter a season with too many wholesome and dependable quarterbacks. Minnesota’s ultimate resolution could rely upon whether or not or not O’Connell believes McCarthy can match Darnold’s accomplishments after the 22-year-old spent his debut professional season as an injured spectator.
