The Minnesota Vikings feel like they have enough talent to compete for a Super Bowl in 2024, and now they will have a decision to make when it comes to their starting QB for the season.
The Vikings traded up one spot to select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Vikings were looking for their next franchise signal caller, and the Minnesota brass was sold that McCarthy is the guy who will take the Vikings to the next level.
The main question heading into the summer is when McCarthy will be ready to play for the Vikings. Minnesota signed veteran and former No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold to a contract. The popular belief—at the moment—is that Darnold will get the nod to start the season, but McCarthy will get his shot around midway.
But if you listen to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, he believes McCarthy will be ready to go immediately. Appearing on ESPN’s ‘Get Up’ with Mike Greenberg, Darlington expressed the opinion that he thinks McCarthy will be ready to go for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1.
“Absolutely,” Darlington said on if McCarthy could start Week 1. “Let me tell you why. It isn’t just about his ability, it’s about the fact that this is a guy that’s going into a situation with Kevin O’Connell — I talked to O’Connell and he has a very specific plan in place for J.J. McCarthy. He’s going to be surrounded my coaches who are completely invested in making sure he gets the proper development. They do have Sam Darnold available if McCarthy isn’t ready. I just think the expedited process of his development is going to be such that he will be ready for Week 1.”
It remains to be unseen what will happen with the Vikings starting QB job this fall, but regardless if it’s Darnold or McCarhty — Minnesota has plenty of weapons at their disposal.
The next order of business is to ink a long-term contract extension for star wide receiver Justin Jefferson, which should come before the start of the season. Between Jefferson and Jordan Addision — the speedy wideout the Vikings drafted out of USC last year — whoever starts at QB has two premier pass catchers to make his job easier.
Minnesota Vikings Expected To Part Ways With Backup QB Jaren Hall This Summer
Now with Darnold and McCarthy as sure QBs to make the final 53-man roster, the third-string spot will be a competition between Nick Mullins and Jaren Hall if the Vikings choose to keep a third QB on their final roster.
Former fifth-round pick Jaren Hall started a couple of games for Minnesota during his rookie campaign, though he didn’t finish either of them. A concussion knocked Hall out of his first start against the Atlanta Falcons in early November, while poor play led head coach Kevin O’Connell to yank Hall from the lineup against the Green Bay Packers in Week 17 after just 10 pass attempts in favor of Nick Mullens.
Alec Lewis of The Athletic on Thursday, May 2, published his projections for the team’s 53-man roster, and Hall was the odd man out in the quarterback room. Lewis further predicted Darnold to start the year under center, with McCarthy and Mullens behind him on the depth chart.
The Vikings do not want to rush McCarthy’s development. Michigan’s offensive system contains some of the same concepts as head coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense. McCarthy also has experience playing under center. Still, Minnesota wants to treat this like a big-league baseball team would with a top prospect. Until all of the Vikings’ decision-makers are convinced McCarthy is ready, it does not make sense to throw him into the fire.
This is contingent both on Darnold’s performance and the team’s willingness to turn to Mullens if Darnold struggles or suffers an injury. Team leaders hope neither happens, but they have to plan for the worst-case scenario.
Seemingly the only path to some other fate, other than the Minnesota Vikings cutting him and the QB finding employment elsewhere, is for Hall to establish himself as a potentially starting-caliber player in training camp.
As of now, he feels like the odd man out and will likely be cut after training camp.