Darnold will be the first-team quarterback when Minnesota begins training camp in late July, ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert reports. Darnold took all the first-team reps at June minicamp and reportedly looked sharper than 10th overall draft pick J.J. McCarthy. Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday that Darnold will remain the top QB for the start of training camp, but O'Connell cautioned that it's one of the many positions at which he anticipates competition later this summer.
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Status
ACTIVELatest Sam Darnold news
Team
Minnesota Vikings
Birthdate
6/5/1997 (27)
Status
Active
HT/WT
6'3", 225 lbs
Draft Info
2018: Rd 1; Pk (NYJ)
Birthplace
Capistrano Beach, CA, USA
Position
QB
College
USC
Experience
7 seasons
Career History
San Francisco 49ers
2023-2024
(1 season)
Carolina Panthers
2021-2023
(2 seasons)
New York Jets
2018-2021
(3 seasons)
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Darnold will be the first-team quarterback when Minnesota begins training camp in late July, ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert reports. Darnold took all the first-team reps at June minicamp and reportedly looked sharper than 10th overall draft pick J.J. McCarthy. Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday that Darnold will remain the top QB for the start of training camp, but O'Connell cautioned that it's one of the many positions at which he anticipates competition later this summer.
Darnold took every first-team rep during mandatory minicamp, with Alec Lewis of The Athletic reporting that the veteran quarterback's "consistency stood out for three days" while J.J. McCarthy missed more throws. Lewis says McCarthy's inconsistency is to be expected and adds that "overarching quarterback observations are largely unimportant at this stage" of the offseason. The rookie will have a chance to win the starting job this summer, so it'll be more of a story if he's still lagging far behind Darnold in early-to-mid August after a few weeks of training camp. Lewis also notes that McCarthy had his best day yet Thursday, the final day of minicamp, perhaps giving him something to build on when the Vikings hold their final round of OTAs on June 10-13.
The Vikings could begin the season with Darnold as the team's starting quarterback despite taking J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, ESPN reports. "We're not going to rush his development," said general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. "We're just going to do what's best for the Vikings in the short and long term." Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings as a short-term veteran starter or backup. It's hard to handicap when McCarthy may take over the starting job this soon after the draft, but it's notable the Vikings are trying to reduce expectations. Expect the quarterback battle for the Week 1 starting job to commence this summer. Still, odds are Darnold will only be the starter for a few weeks at most if McCarthy is healthy and making progress.
Darnold agreed to terms on a one-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Darnold spent the 2023 campaign as Brock Purdy's backup in San Francisco, but he will now join his former teammate, and current Vikings quarterback coach, Josh McCown in Minnesota. With Kirk Cousins en route to Atlanta, the 26-year-old becomes the de facto No. 1 option under center. He completed 16-of-26 passes for 189 yards and one touchdown, while adding another 19 yards and trip to the end zone on seven carries in his only start for the 49ers last season. It remains to be seen if Minnesota will draft or bring in competition for Darnold, as the journeyman signal caller could be viewed either as a bridge to a younger quarterback or potential option for the future.
While not officially ruled out, Purdy faces a challenge to clear protocol on a short week after Monday's loss at Minnesota. Darnold has taken 18 snaps and attempted one pass so far this season, strictly subbing in for Purdy in the late stages of blowout wins. The 26-year-old was last seen starting for Carolina over the final six weeks of last season -- a stretch in which he won four games and completed 58.6 percent of his passes for 8.2 yards per attempt while accounting for nine touchdowns (two rushing) and five turnovers (three INTs)