Vikings HC shares huge Sam Darnold update amid J.J. McCarthy’s recovery

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy admitted during Super Bowl week that he wants “a fair opportunity” to compete for the starting job, coming off the complete meniscus repair that sidelined him for his entire rookie season.

He could battle with current Minnesota starter Sam Darnold for the second straight summer.

“He’s earned the right to be a free agent, but we will continue to have ongoing dialogue and discussions with him and his representation,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said about Darnold on Thursday night, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert sharIt remains to be seen whether the Vikings will sign Darnold to a multiyear contract before the new league year opens on March 12 or prevent him from reaching free agency by retaining his rights for 2025 via the franchise tag. Either option would make the 27-year-old much more expensive than McCarthy, who will be on his rookie deal for at least the next few seasons.

While Darnold produced a pair of duds in Minnesota’s biggest games of the 2024 campaign, he also helped the club finish Week 18 at 14-3. According to Pro Football Reference, he ended the regular season ranked fifth in the NFL with 4,319 passing yards, fifth with 35 touchdowns through the air and sixth among qualified players with a 102.5 passer rating.

“You guys know how I feel about Sam,” O’Connell explained. “He is a guy that we identified last year as somebody who could come in and be successful. And really no matter where he was at before he arrived in his quarterback journey, it was about maximizing our time together. And I think we did that, and I think it was a very special year for Sam. And what that earned him is, everybody in our league now thinks he’s a bona fide legitimate starting quarterback and can win a lot of football games.” ed.

While that seems like quite a vote of confidence regarding Darnold’s short-term future, O’Connell was sure to mention that he’s “really excited ” about McCarthy’s recovery from the setback he suffered this past August.

“He’s really hit the ground running as the true offseason has begun,” O’Connell added about the 2024 first-round draft pick.

The Vikings can afford to bring Darnold back, and history shows that teams can never enter a season with too many healthy and reliable quarterbacks. Minnesota’s final decision may depend on whether or not O’Connell believes McCarthy can match Darnold’s accomplishments after the 22-year-old spent his debut pro season as an injured spectator.