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After watching Sam Darnold play at a Pro Bowl level for the Vikings in 2025, Minnesota has a tough decision to make regarding the future of their quarterback position.
On one hand, they could retain Darnold and run it back. Alternatively, the team could go with JJ McCarthy, the quarterback they selected in the first round last year before he suffered a season-ending injury during camp.
Is it risky to go all-in on McCarthy when he’s yet to throw a snap at the NFL level? Maybe so, but as GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pointed out at the combine, the Michigan product still had a productive rookie season, as he learned that language the Vikings want to speak on offense.
“Yeah, and now, obviously, the injury was unfortunate, but, you know, just understanding that you’re learning a new language. I took Latin in high school, so I don’t know if that’s a real language, but you get conversational, you’re able to not just go out to dinner but have a conversation with somebody, learn about something,” Adofo-Mensah explained. “So he’s conversational in our language, in our offensive language, understanding the ‘Why’ and the intentions behind things. You want to be able to go out there and play free and let your talent take over, so all these steps, all the learning he’s done in the past year, is going to allow him to be able to do that. We’re excited about the makeup of him; he’s been everything we want him to be, and we’re excited about his future.”
While that knowledge alone likely won’t turn McCarthy into a certified star, Adofo-Mensah did note that the Vikings are keeping their options open, as the team simply can’t afford to put all of their eggs in one basket just yet.
“Every option is afforded to us,” Adofo-Mensah said via NBC. “When we did the move originally, we wanted to create optionality. And part of the optionality was believing and betting on a guy who was young, talented — believing in our infrastructure to be able to do the things we can do with the quarterbacks. So, we’re now in a position where we have options. And we’ll continue to work those options, figure out the best way for the Vikings to move forward.”
Is there a world where the Vikings keep both Darnold and McCarthy heading into the 2025 NFL season? Yes, while putting the franchise tag on Darnold would be a massive risk and sort of waste the whole competitive advantage of a quarterback on a rookie-scale contract, allowing a Pro Bowl quarterback to leave for nothing is even riskier, especially if he continues to play at a high level. Still, when the day eventually comes when McCarthy does take over the role, it’s safe to assume he’ll be able to fluently speak the language of Kevin O’Connell’s offensive scheme.
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