Before the 2024 NFL season began, the Minnesota Vikings were dealt a devastating blow with rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy going down with a knee injury that required season-ending surgery.
Although head coach Kevin O’Connell had yet to name a starting quarterback, the consensus seemed that McCarthy would get the nod over veteran newcomer Sam Darnold.
With McCarthy unavailable, Darnold was thrust into the starting role, which has worked out very well for the Vikings as he resurrected his career as an NFL starter.
Now that Darnold has made such an impression while leading the team to a 10-2 record heading into Week 14, there have been some questions about what the Vikings will do at quarterback moving forward.
Mike Renner of CBS Sports said he believes the Vikings’ future has McCarthy at QB over Darnold, who would need a new contract to stay in Minnesota.
“I don’t see a world where you can even extend them like, because any extension is basically taking you through J.J. McCarthy’s rookie deal and just saying, ‘Hey, that pick that we made, he’s a backup now,'” Renner said, via The Purple Persuasion.
According to @mikerenner_ via @Purple_Insider, he believes that #Vikings J.J. McCarthy is still the future over Sam Darnold:
“I just don't see, if again, like if they really believed in what they saw last training camp with JJ McCarthy, I don't see a world where you can even… pic.twitter.com/Sfb7QkGZrF
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) December 5, 2024
Even though McCarthy might be the quarterback the team chooses moving forward, the fact of the matter is that the Vikings are a legitimate Super Bowl contender right now.
It’ll be interesting to see what the Vikings can accomplish with Darnold as their starter in the weeks to come and whether their success will carry over to the playoffs.
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