Subscribe
Follow Us
Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings have been one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 season. The team signed Darnold to a one-year, $10 million deal in the offseason after losing longtime starter Kirk Cousin to the Atlanta Falcons. Darnold had become a journeyman quarterback since leaving the New York Jets after the 2020 season. But he’s found unprecedented success in Minnesota, leading the Vikings to a 5-1 record over his first six starts.
While Darnold has looked like a different quarterback in his new home, there is, of course, the elephant in the room. The Vikings drafted their quarterback of the future – J.J. McCarthy – a month after signing Darnold.
As Minnesota prepared to take on the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night, Albert Breer was asked about the Vikings long term plans at quarterback. “Keven O’Connell has been upfront with Darnold, telling him just have a good day, have a good practice, have a good game and then we’ll have a good problem and we’ll deal with it after the year,” Breer said, via his account on X.
“They love where Sam Darold is, his accuracy, his arm talent, his make up. All of it shows why he was the third overall pick in the draft,” Breer added.
Sam Darnold has been a revelation for the Vikings this season
The Vikings took McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft out of Michigan. After a quarterback competition in the preseason, Minnesota gave Darnold the first look. However, the decision was taken out of O’Connell’s hands when McCarthy suffered a season ending knee injury in August.
After a lengthy rehab, McCarthy was able to join the Vikings on their road trip to Los Angeles. And while he won’t play this season, the team has invested significant draft capital in the young signal caller.
Darnold, on the other hand, is on a short-term deal. His performance this season has been exceptional. Although he’s not eligible for Comeback Player of the Year, he’s played at a near-MVP level over the first two months of the season. The Vikings didn’t lose their first game until Week 7 when the Detroit Lions edged them out 31-29.
As O’Connell mentioned, having two quality quarterbacks is a good problem. And, if nothing else, Darnold has put together some great tape that could help him land a starting gig elsewhere if the Vikings are committed to McCarthy for next season.
Minnesota is currently in second place in the NFC North after losing their divisional matchup with the Lions, who are also 5-1. The team is taking on the 2-4 Rams on Thursday night in Week 8.
