After saying goodbye to veteran Kirk Cousins this offseason, the Minnesota Vikings could have a brewing quarterback controversy.
They took University of Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and they also brought in Sam Darnold, who has been in the league since 2018.
It has been generally expected that Darnold would be Minnesota’s starter for Week 1, but Mark Craig of the Star Tribune said in a tweet that he thinks McCarthy will be under center when the regular season kicks off.
Both have very strong arms. One is a rookie. One is Sam Darnold. So neither looks like an NFL starter right now. Sam is being treated like the starter but I still think J.J. passes him and is the Week 1 starter. But if he doesn’t it’s nothing to be alarmed about. https://t.co/b0iigsuCoP
— Mark Craig (@markcraignfl) August 1, 2024
McCarthy is fresh off leading the Wolverines to a college national championship, but there have been questions about whether he can succeed at the next level.
At Michigan, he played in a run-heavy offensive system, but he is now a member of an NFL team that loves to let it fly.
Over the past two seasons, the Vikings, under head coach Kevin O’Connell, have finished in the top four in pass attempts, and therefore McCarthy will have to prove he can consistently make plays downfield.
Luckily, he has some playmakers on his side, including Justin Jefferson, who is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL, wideout Jordan Addison, who had a strong rookie campaign last year, and star tight end T.J. Hockenson.
Darnold was expected to become a star when he entered the league as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, but in six pro seasons, he has completed just 59.7 percent of his pass attempts and thrown almost as many interceptions (56) as touchdown passes (63).
Therefore, McCarthy may not have to do a lot to earn Minnesota’s QB1 spot, whether he does it this summer or at some point later on.
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