The Minnesota Vikings entered the offseason with several questions left unanswered. They had several roster holes to fill, the most imperative being at the quarterback position. Kirk Cousins meant a lot to this team, and it was initially unclear what the Vikings’ plans were when he left. However, after some deliberation, they signed Sam Darnold and drafted J.J. McCarthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Both players have since competed for the starting role, hoping to battle for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart. McCarthy was a highly touted player coming out of college due to his performance in the National title with Michigan, and Darnold has several years of experience. Fans have been waiting to see what the organization is thinking, and it appears they have received an update on the situation.
According to Albert Breer via The Purple Persuasion on Twitter, McCarthy’s odds of starting in Week 1 are “less than 10%,” adding that Darnold will “keep the bar high,” which could limit McCarthy’s chances of seeing the field in Year 1.
Per @AlbertBreer, he puts the odds of #Vikings rookie QB J.J. McCarthy starting week 1 at “less than 10%” and QB Sam Darnold will do enough to “keep the bar” high for McCarthy to get on the field 🧐
And that’s not any affront to McCarthy, who, by all accounts, had a fine spring… pic.twitter.com/GbmSiuZDVe
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) June 19, 2024
With this report in mind, the Vikings could be waiting it out with McCarthy, hoping to see what he can do over the next few months to make their decision. This 10% metric that Breer mentioned could certainly change, but after seeing rookie quarterback performances in recent seasons, they might be more than willing to wait a year to throw McCarthy into the starting role. After all, several teams have benefitted from having their rookie quarterback sit for at least a year, notably, the Green Bay Packers with Jordan Love, and the Kansas City Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes.
