Pretty confident? Kevin O'Connell buries Sam Darnold before Vikings season starts

Minnesota Vikings rookie QB JJ McCarthy had an impressive first preseason outing, leading some fans to wonder if he could start earlier than initially expected. Unfortunately for those very same Vikings fans, McCarthy was declared out for the season just days later.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell remains confident in the system he has in place, but not necessarily Sam Darnold. While Darnold received rave reviews from the San Francisco 49ers and Kyle Shanahan, he didn't play much by the Bay and hasn't shown anything on the field to suggest he's not the same first-round bust we thought he was in New York.

For what it's worth, Darnold has not looked bad during training camp. He's as steady as it gets. Still, Darnold is a bridge quarterback. Let's not kid ourselves. That's why there was so much excitement when McCarthy appeared ahead of schedule. Vikings fans thought they could skip to the end.

Not so fast, my friends. McCarthy will eventually recover from his season-ending knee injury, but even then he won't be the franchise savior right away. He was always a developmental project, which is why O'Connell and the Minnesota front office prepared for this.

Kevin O'Connell gives Sam Darnold the lamest vote of confidence ever

When asked about Darnold, O'Connell tried and failed to hype the former first rounder up to Vikings fans.

“I think guys are pretty confident in Sam Darnold,” O’Connell told reporters. “I do. When Nick Mullens got his opportunities last year, we were very explosive as an offense. His ability to run the show and really highlight a lot of different aspects of our offense with his understanding is something. That’s why Nick’s here. He’s a guy we really respect and respect his prep and his experience.”

Yes, nothing makes a starting quarterback feel better than bringing up his new backup as an example. There is no fooling O'Connell or the Vikings players. Heck, even Darnold has to know McCarthy was drafted to eventually take over. This is just a pitstop on his career backup tour, which is set to begin any year now.

But to compare Darnold to Mullens, of all people? That's just mean, and frankly a little insulting to Darnold. Mullens is a career backup in his twilight. Sure, the Vikings made it work once before, but Mullens also showed he was clearly not a starting quarterback. It's not like he surprised all of Minnesota and the ghost of Prince and balled out.

Darnold shouldn't be fragile at this point in his career, but a little more emphasis would be appreciate next time around.