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Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has stood by and supported quarterback Sam Darnold before his hot start during his rough patch.
The Vikings are widely expected to be J.J. McCarthy’s team in 2025, though. The rookie No. 10 overall pick is out for the season after undergoing surgery for repair a torn meniscus. But O’Connell has already dubbed him the team’s future at QB.
Where does that leave Darnold, who signed a one-year, $10 million contract in free agency?
“Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell has deemed injured rookie J.J. McCarthy (knee) the franchise’s quarterback of the future, which seemingly sets the stage for Darnold to sign elsewhere,” ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler wrote in a batch of league-wide intel published on November 13.
“Darnold and Minnesota are 7-2 together, so entertaining a bridge deal while the team continues to develop McCarthy behind the scenes shouldn’t be completely off the table. Darnold’s decision-making on the field down the stretch will determine a lot about his future.”
Darnold is on track to post career highs with a 68.6% completion rate.
He is two touchdown passes shy of tying his best mark with eight games to go. Hee also leads the NFL with 10 interceptions and has the ninth-highest sack rate, per Pro Football Reference.
Insiders Split on Sam Darnold’s Potential Return to Vikings in 2025
GettySam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings reacts after his team defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Fowler doubled down on his stance about Darnold, noting the QB’s current situation is tough to top around the league.
“I’m not taking a return to Minnesota completely off the table. What if Darnold and the Vikings win 12 games and make a playoff run? It’s totally plausible, and perhaps Darnold would be open to another short-term deal,” Fowler wrote in a separate intel dump on November 13
“Being coached by O’Connell and throwing to receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison along with tight end T.J. Hockenson each week is a better scenario than almost any alternative. The money speaks in these situations, but Darnold starting in 2025 would give McCarthy another season to develop behind the scenes before taking over in Year 3 of his rookie deal.”
Fowler’s colleague, Dan Graziano, believes Darnold’s return remains a longshot.
It all comes back to the Vikings’ plan for McCarthy. He has remained part of the day-to-day workings as he rehabs his injury.
“My understanding is that the Vikings were planning to open the 2024 season with Darnold as the starter even if McCarthy were healthy, but that they expected to transition to McCarthy as the season went along,” Graziano wrote in response to Fowler. “The injury is a developmental setback, but having been in the building for a year means McCarthy will be further ahead in August 2025 than he was in August 2024. Bringing back Darnold and rerunning the original 2024 plan could do more harm than good to McCarthy’s development at that point.”
An NFLPA player survey revealed players hold the Vikings’ infrastructure and O’Connell in particular favorably. But the organization’s commitment to McCarthy – who they traded up to draft – could outweigh the potential stability of bringing Darnold back.
Fowler named the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders, and Tennesee Titans among the potential landing spots for Darnold in free agency.
The insider also named two of Darnold’s former teams, the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets.
Kevin O’Connell: J.J. McCarthy on ‘Same Timeline’ After Setback, 2nd Surgery
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up before the preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Keeping Darnold on another bridge deal could allow the Vikings to ensure that McCarthy is fully recovered from his injury.
That is a notable advantage after he suffered a setback that required an additional procedure.
“He’s really knocked it out of the park every step of the way,” O’Connell told reporters on November 13. “As his kind of rehab has picked up, we noticed a little swelling in there. And just with the time that we do have, he’s been doing everything we asked of him and improving, getting stronger, all those things.
“We just wanted to make sure that there was no cause for concern, and all reports were very positive. And he’s on the original timeline, in good shape.
O’Connell then turned the focus to McCarthy’s development during his rehab.
“I’ve just enjoyed, as his rehabs progressed, [that] he can be in meetings and spend … more time with us,” O’Connell said. “It’s been some real growth for him. [He] continues to ask great questions every day. And we’ll just continue to – that’s the hardest part; when you get the ability to do a little bit more, and start pushing through those final stages over these next few weeks. I feel really good about where he’s at.”
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