Vikings ignoring eye test with reported plan for Sam Darnold, J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings are entering a new quarterback era for the first time since 2018. After six years in Minnesota, quarterback Kirk Cousins signed with the Atlanta Falcons during free agency. With Cousins at the helm, the Vikings teetered between mediocrity and playoff contention. 

After the Vikings elected not to sign Cousins to a long-term deal last offseason, the writing was on the wall for his departure. The Vikings weren't willing to pay a premium price for a 35-year-old quarterback rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon, especially when they had plans to make wide receiver Justin Jefferson the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. 

The Vikings implemented a two-pronged plan to replace Cousins: start a stopgap veteran quarterback and develop a rookie quarterback. 

Minnesota signed quarterback Sam Darnold in free agency and selected Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. McCarthy led the Wolverines to a NCAA national championship in a run-heavy scheme with coach Jim Harbaugh. Although the Vikings’ future is in his hands, he’ll likely begin his NFL career on the sidelines.

Vikings plan to start Sam Darnold while J.J. McCarthy develops

During an appearance on “SportsCenter,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler discussed Minnesota’s plan to begin the 2024 season with Darnold as the starting quarterback and patiently integrate McCarthy into their offense.

"The Vikings believe that there is untapped potential here, that there is a lot of ability,” Fowler said. “He's never had a supporting cast quite like this. So, they believe he can not only start games, but potentially thrive if everything goes well. So, their plan would be to sit J.J. McCarthy to an unknown amount of games, whether it's a full season, however many games that they believe he can learn a high-volume passing system behind the scenes at least for a little bit would be good for him.”

The New York Jets selected Darnold with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Despite high expectations, Darnold’s time with the Jets was no better than any other unfortunate Jets quarterback. From seeing ghosts against Bill Belichick’s amoebic defense to a battle with mononucleosis, Darnold’s experience in the Meadowlands was equal parts tragedy and comedy.

After a 13-25 record through his first three seasons, Darnold was traded to the Carolina Panthers, where he compiled an 8-9 record over two seasons. Darnold signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, where he served as the backup to quarterback Brock Purdy. In free agency, he opted to join Minnesota on a one-year, $10 million contract.

Darnold hasn’t had the luxury of starting in an offense with this many weapons before, and he certainly hasn’t ever thrown to a wide receiver like Jefferson before. Darnold’s experience in San Francisco with Kyle Shanahan’s offensive scheme gives him some familiarity with the Vikings scheme under head coach Kevin O’Connell. Both coaches come from the same lineage and share similar philosophies. 

The Vikings are hoping that Darnold can follow in the footsteps of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith and become the next Jets quarterback to thrive after some time to recover from the developmental hindrances caused by the Jets franchise.

At the very least, the Vikings just need Darnold to hold them afloat until McCarthy is ready to take over.