This offseason is gonna be one heck of a ride. The reason? Well, there are some teams who are desperate to find their QB1, then there’re the Vikings who are out here trying to figure out which one to keep. That’s kind of a beautiful disaster for the Kevin O’Connell and the crew. And let’s be real, their QB shuffle didn’t just start now—it’s been a whole saga since last season.
First, the Vikings brought in Sam Darnold on a one-year deal. Cool. Then, they went all in on JJ McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. And just when you thought they were set, midseason rolled around, and they said, “You know what? Let’s add one more.” Boom—enter Daniel Jones, fresh off his Giants run. The result? Now, they’ve to decide Darnold and Jones’ future considering the former’s gonna hit free agency in off-season.
On Thursday, the head coach, O’Connell appeared on the latest episode of The Dan Patrick Show. Patrick asked him the most anticipated question about Darnold, who’s kinda holding the QB1 spot of the Vikings. “When do you make your decision or the team makes its decision on Sam Darnold?” In his response, the HC revealed that we need to wait a bit more to learn about his future with the team. “You know, it’s an ongoing process right now Dan. We’re very proud of what Sam was able to accomplish…The idea is this we’re you know, we’re evaluating how we’re going to move forward and put the best possible team together in 2025 and Beyond.”
Translation: JJ McCarthy had to wrap up his rookie season without even making his pro football debut due to his knee injury. Later, Darnold took advantage of the opportunity and has really put himself as probably the premier player at the position before, well, going into free agency. And for Jones? Yeah, he’s gonna get his fair share as well.
Now, the thing is, McCarthy is gonna return for his sophomore season after injury and he’s looking for a fair opportunity. And Darnold is yet to get a contract extension from the team. As for Jones, he’s still in a talking stage with the head coach. Thus, it is safe to say that Kevin O’Connell is shuffling his deck to pick the right QB for the next season and he’s having a talk with all three of them. But one thing’s clear: Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones are gearing up to return as Vikings.
“I think a lot goes into it. We haven’t made that decision yet. I talked to really all three you know, JJ’s here everyday. But I talked to Sam yesterday for a long time. I talked to Daniel Jones for a long time. I just want those guys to know that there’s an element in this where our relationship matters, the communication between me and those guys has to be paramount and the agents and our front office those conversations will go on.”
At the end of the day, the real debate wasn’t about whether the Vikings would lock in Darnold or Jones long-term. It was all about one big question—who’s taking the QB1 spot once JJ McCarthy is back in the mix?
After all, JJ McCarthy is yet to make his debut
McCarthy’s rookie season in a nutshell? It ended before it even began. After the preseason opener against the Raiders, McCarthy reported that he’s feeling soreness. Later it was revealed that the 10th overall pick has fully torn his right knee’s meniscus and had to go through a surgery. The result? He became the first QB ever selected in the first round to miss out the entire season without playing a single game.
Fast forward to now and the dark clouds are looming over his head due to injury uncertainly for his second season. However, the 22-year-old just wants an opportunity to show his true potential. On Tuesday, McCarthy appeared on The Rich Eisen Show where he said, “All I can ask for is a fair opportunity. That’s the one that I feel like everybody’s given and it’s fundamental.”
“When money gets involved, things get complicated, and 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.” You see, JJ was picked 10th overall in the 2024 NFL draft. Sure, he’s returning for his sophomore season without playing a single game, still, he isn’t expecting a special treatment from the team upon his return.
He’s just looking for one San Darnold kinda opportunity to prove his worth on the gridiron. Now, it would be exciting to see, how will Kevin O’Connell is gonna choose the starting QB in the next season—of course, if JJ McCarthy makes a successful return.
The post Kevin O’Connell Confirms Sam Darnold & Daniel Jones’ Future as JJ McCarthy Demands ‘Fair Opportunity’ After Return From Injury appeared first on EssentiallySports.
