The biggest offseason question mark this year continues to stay with the Minnesota Vikings.

Will it be Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy?

No matter who you talk to, they likely have a strong opinion on who the quarterback should be moving forward. Darnold was incredible over the first 16 games of the season, but the final two were rough at best.

McCarthy was selected at 10th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft and is viewed as the future of the franchise. Unfortunately, McCarthy tore his meniscus in the first preseason game and missed the entire season.

With it being Super Bowl week, players are taking time to do media on radio row. One of those is McCarthy, who did a rare media appearance, as the Vikings have kept him from doing a lot of media since he joined the team back in April. 

During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, McCarthy was asked about the 2025 season and gave some candid answers.

“Our conversations have just been about nothing but the greatest thing for the Minnesota Vikings. At the end of the day, there are a lot of things that are certainly above my pay grade and some things above his. He’s the one that has the pen last on the field and that’s about all I know.”

Eisen is one of the best interviews in the business and he didn’t stop there. He asked McCarthy about his feelings about the situation and his honesty was stark.

“All I can ask for is a fair opportunity. That’s the one thing that I feel like everybody’s given and it’s fundamental. When money gets involved, things get complicated, reps get skewed, and there’s different things that come into the whole political world that everyone talks about. But I really just have to focus on controlling what I can control. My feelings don’t matter. I’m not getting any grace. There’s no sympathy. This is the big leagues.”

The honesty from McCarthy is valid from every angle. It’s also refreshing to hear, as most of these interviews are just fluff. Saying that he just wants a fair opportunity fits everything we’ve seen from McCarthy.

It also speaks volumes as to the decision for the Vikings. Nobody truly knows what they will do, and it sounds like they don’t either.