The Minnesota Vikings should have seen this coming. Turning their back on two quarterbacks that could have saved them from mediocrity for J.J. McCarthy put them in an impossible situation. But what if they could go back and have a do-over? How different would the Vikings look if they didn’t take McCarthy ninth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft? If they would have re-signed Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones? Or even if other NFL teams left McCarthy to fall into the depths of the NFL Draft?
McCarthy’s 87 yards and two interceptions in the Vikings’ touchdownless loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday is bringing up some harsh realities about the Vikings, one they put themselves into. By turning to McCarthy, they allowed the Seattle Seahawks to save themselves from Geno Smith and the Indianapolis Colts to avoid another year-long migraine with Anthony Richardson.
Here’s how Minnesota’s decision to believe in McCarthy changed the entire landscape of the 2025 NFL season.
What the NFL would look like if the Minnesota Vikings didn’t turn their back on Sam Darnold
The Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts are two of the best teams in the NFL and you could point to one thing that turned them into instant contenders: Their quarterbacks. And the Vikings gifted each their final piece to building a contender. For Seattle, they wouldn’t even be close to what they are now with Smith under center.
The Seahawks traded Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders and coughed up $100 million to bring Darnold in as a free agent. Now he’s statistically a top 10 quarterback, and has the Seahawks atop the NFC. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the NFL’s top receiver and they look brilliant for going after a quarterback the Vikings wanted nothing to do with.
Before Darnold got there, they hadn’t won a playoff game since 2019. Smith was 0-1 in his only playoff appearance as a starter. Thanks to the Vikings lifeline, the Seahawks are looking as playoff-ready as ever.
The same could be said about the Indianapolis Colts.
Minnesota never gave Daniel Jones a chance and he made the most of it in Indianapolis
Vikings not bringing Jones back, doesn’t make any sense. They could have given him the same deal they gave Darnold to prove he deserves to be an expensive starting quarterback again. It would have also given McCarthy another year to learn the mental side of the game, which seems to continue to hold him back this season.
Jones isn't having a statistically strong seasons but he’s winning and he’s not putting unnecessary pressure on himself. The Colts are within reach of the No. 1 seed despite entering the season with the rough quarterback options and lingering problem of offensive consistency.
The Colts pretty much hinted that Richardson was holding them back at quarterback last season and Jones is proving that. They truly needed competent quarterback play to contend in the AFC. If the Vikings had given Jones a chance, who knows if Richardson and the Colts would be relevant; and who knows if the Vikings would have actually built on last year’s season.
How the Minnesota Vikings screwed themselves with their quarterback decision
Very rarely do you completely rid yourself of a quarterback that led you to be tied for the best record in the NFL with 14 wins and a playoff appearance. While Darnold didn’t play well in his final two games in Minnesota, he was the perfect replacement for Kirk Cousins. After one season, they didn’t want to pay him and now they’re paying for it.
The more alarming decision was to bring Jones in last year after he was cut by the New York Giants, just to never let him play. They gave up on him before they ever saw what he could be and it left them with McCarthy as their only option.
The Vikings are now forced to decide how next season will go. They have been a contending team with a playoff roster. Continuing to throw McCarthy out there while he’s struggling this badly is coaching malpractice. Maybe they’ll get to bring Jones back in, but it will cost them a lot more than it would have this season.
Whatever they decide, they can’t bring McCarthy back as the starter after the way he’s played this year. This team is better than 4-7 and honestly looked better with Carson Wentz. The domino effect around the rest of the NFL for the Vikings’ commitment to McCarthy is jarring. Had they not chosen poorly, are the Seahawks this good? Is Jones leading one of the top teams in the NFL? Probably not.