Vikings can't give Sam Darnold the vote of confidence he desperately needs right now

The Minnesota Vikings brought in Sam Darnold to start the 2024 season as their quarterback. Beyond that, however, Darnold cannot find much solace in the Vikings long-term planning. Kevin O'Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah drafted JJ McCarthy in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Darnold is viewed as a bridge quarterback by most outsiders, and if he finally performs up to par of his top-10 pick standing, perhaps the Vikings can deal him for draft capital down the road. This was all known, and then Saturday happened.

Darnold had a pedestrian preseason debut with the Vikings, completing 4-of-8 passes for 59 yards. He was vastly overshadowed by McCarthy, however, who showcased exactly why Minnesota selected him in the first place. Yes, the Michigan product is still raw, but his statline is not misleading. McCarthy completed 11-of-17 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw an interception, but there was far more good than bad for McCarthy in his rookie debut.

Vikings try and fail to pump the brakes on JJ McCarthy hype train

"I think we want to be smart about that development and make sure that his training camp is absolutely going to plan," O'Connell reiterated on Saturday. He also mentioned how "huge" this coming week's joint practices against the Cleveland Browns will be, applying even more pressure on both players to show out in private, rather than just when the lights are brightest and most fans are watching.

Practice is ultimately where these decisions are made, and while Darnold should be the overwhelming favorite for the starting job, he can ill-afford to lay an egg this week. McCarthy was pleased by his performance, but also tried to keep it in perspective. He was most appreciative of his chance to redeem himself following an early interception.

"In this league, things are going to go bad, and it's your ability to respond and navigate those waters when it does happen. So just being able to have that 'goldfish memory,' go back out there and have that 'sling it' mentality, which is what I needed," McCarthy said.

McCarthy's learning curve was expected to be great heading into his first NFL season. Instead, he's taken the hits in stride, and is instead applying feedback from his coaching staff at an alarming rate from Darnold's point of view.