Supportive J.J. McCarthy could have a Sam Darnold problem on his hands

Mea culpa. Through the first three weeks of the 2024 NFL season, I have been the most wrong about the Minnesota Vikings. I had serious concerns about Sam Darnold as a long-term answer as the team's starting quarterback. Well, as it turns out, he is flourishing in Kevin O'Connell's offensive system. The Vikings are 3-0 and the vibes are high in Minneapolis. There is also J.J. McCarthy...

The Vikings moved up one spot to take the former Michigan starter with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. After one preseason game, his rookie season came to an end due to a knee injury. As McCarthy does the right thing and cheers on his teammates from the sidelines, we have to wonder if the Vikings have struck gold in the form of another blue-chip prospect in Darnold? He's been great!

In my estimation, I venture to guess that the Vikings will go about its quarterback situation in a similar manner like the Atlanta Falcons are with Minnesota's former starter Kirk Cousins and No. 8 overall pick Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington. It will be Cousins and Darnold this year, and probably next. After that, we will see if McCarthy and Penix are ready to take the reins from their teams' starters.

As it turns out, Darnold may have been good at football all along. Once again, coaching matters!

Where there is a major difference between what Atlanta and Minnesota are going through is Cousins is 36, while Darnold is only 27. The transition in Atlanta may be a tad more seamless than what could happen in Minneapolis. It all comes down to how well Darnold plays in his make-or-break season. He probably will return to Minnesota on a new deal next year, but he might have to leave them eventually.

All I know is for as good as Darnold has played, the succession plan in place is getting even murkier.

Sam Darnold's good play may keep J.J. McCarthy on the bench long-term

Just like Atlanta, Minnesota does have money, and somewhat time, on its side. McCarthy and Penix are only rookies, meaning they will be under contract through the 2027 NFL season, and though 2028 if they were extended their fifth-year options. After that, you will have needed to extend the guy because using a franchise tag on a quarterback is never a good idea for a team long-term financially.

To me, I think it would be really hard for the Vikings to pivot off Darnold this upcoming offseason should he be Pro Bowl-caliber, leading this team to something like an 11-6 record and a playoff berth. That is all within the realm of possibility now. Keep in mind that of the six first-round quarterbacks taken back in the spring that the raw McCarthy was by far the least pro-ready. Now, McCarthy is hurt.

Ultimately, Vikings fans are just going to have to trust O'Connell's coaching and the way in which general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has built this team. While the former has been praised throughout the offseason, the latter has plenty of critics, including yours truly. People are allowed to grow and getter better both professionally and personally. I am intrigued to see what happens next.

For now, I think the Vikings' problems are somewhat overstated, as they have been strong thus far.