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Sam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings reacts on the bench during the NFL playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams.
In their final media appearance until the NFL Combine, the Minnesota Vikings brass did not show any favor to Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy being the starting quarterback for the 2025 season — a move that is in their best interest.
Outside of starting next season, Darnold is a valuable trade chip who could remain under team contract if the Vikings choose to franchise tag him. If they intend to tag-and-trade Darnold, they’ll want to fluff him up and drive a competitive trade market. Any inkling that Minnesota may not want to keep Darnold will be blood in the water for a trade partner.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell did not lean one way or another in their praise of both quarterbacks.
There are concerns that McCarthy, coming off meniscus surgery and visibly thinner from months off of training, is ready to take the starting reins.
However, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah left an impression of their internal evaluation of McCarthy just months after drafting him, suggesting McCarthy was pushing Darnold for the starting job down the final stretch of training camp.
“Again, we don’t know what was going to happen at the finish of training camp,” Adofo-Mensah said January 16, referring to the quarterback camp battle before McCarthy’s injury.
Adofo-Mensah’s leaving the competition open last summer bodes well for McCarthy, who impressed with his mental development over the season and is expected to return to his physical prime.
J.J. McCarthy’s Preseason Debut Set Up Defining Joint Practice Battle That Never Happened
McCarthy matured years as a quarterback in a matter of months during spring activities and the early part of training camp. He seemed to be gaining ground on Darnold for the starting job after an impressive preseason debut against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Playing with the Vikings’ second-team offense, McCarthy bounced back from an early interception to complete 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns of 45 and 33 yards (he played most of the Raiders starters in the first half).
There was a belief that the Vikings’ joint practices against a vaunted Cleveland Browns defense the following week would be the final proving grounds for McCarthy, who had seemingly checked every box of his development plan.
McCarthy never made the trip to Cleveland, returning to team facilities the day before the trip with “knee soreness” that proved to be a meniscus tear — shutting down his rookie year abruptly.
If McCarthy made the trip and performed well, there’s no telling what Minnesota’s season might have looked like — but McCarthy would be less of an unknown asset.
Vikings Confident to Play McCarthy
GettyQuarterback J.J. McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings.
After an exit interview with McCarthy, Adofo-Mensah was impressed by McCarthy’s development despite questions about his physical readiness in January.
“He got a great mental year, it was a redshirt year,” Adofo-Mensah said. “We’re really confident in him, his work ethic his preparation, but I can’t sit here and tell you I know anything for certain. I know that I’m willing to believe in the person we have. That position is about talent and preparation and he’s got those things in spades.
“If that’s the course of action we decide,” Adofo-Mensah said on the potential to start McCarthy in 2025, “we’ll go there confidently.”
