The Minnesota Vikings can’t shake how the 2024 season ended. With one game left in the regular season, the No. 1 seed in the NFC was still on the table. Two weeks later, they were bounced in the first round of the playoffs.
Now they scapegoated Sam Darnold as the cause of Minnesota’s problems to end the year. It feels like this is J.J. McCarthy’s time, but the Vikings are hesitant to commit to McCarthy. Because they’re keeping their options open, there’s a chance they try to trade back in the first round.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Vikings, albeit a longshot, are interested in a reunion with Kirk Cousins. But Cousins doesn’t want a similar situation as he had in Atlanta and will have to waive his trade clause anyway.
That leaves the Vikings with the only other option to draft a quarterback in the first round. It’s probably not wise to take a quarterback, but they could be having doubts about McCarthy.
Minnesota Vikings are interested in trading back and could be thinking quarterback on Thursday night
The Vikings could be interested in trading back for a couple of reasons. They could get some more draft capital. According to Russini, they have just four picks in this upcoming draft. In doing so, they could also get insurance for their quarterback room.
If they did draft a quarterback it would be an odd move. All signs have pointed toward them turning to McCarthy. But throughout the offseason, it feels like the Vikings are walking back from believing in McCarthy.
Sure, he’s coming off an injury and hasn’t played an official NFL snap yet. But they decided to use a top 15 pick on him in the 2024 draft. They let Sam Darnold walk this free agency because they liked what they had in-house.
So why change your mind now? And of all drafts, why trade back to draft a quarterback – if that is the plan – in the first round? If that was the plan, they could have just rocked with Darnold and hoped it worked out.
While the Vikings have been linked to exploring quarterback options, it just feels forced if they veer away from playing McCarthy this year.