Getty Vikings quarterbacks Sam Darnold (left) and J.J. McCarthy (right).
The early reports coming out of Minnesota Vikings organized team activities (OTAs) have been unanimous in Sam Darnold‘s comfort in Kevin O’Connell‘s scheme along with rookie J.J. McCarthy being third in the quarterback pecking order.
That tracks, considering Darnold spent last season learning under San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan (O’Connell got his coaching start under the Shanahan coaching tree and employs a similar style of offense).
However, Darnold’s comfort in the spring was expected. It’s almost perennial at this stage of the seven-year veteran’s career.
How Darnold handles the inevitable pressure, especially with McCarthy behind him, will be the defining of whether he can hold onto the starting job.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport cautioned the early optimism for Darnold, calling into question how he’ll handle the pressure as the season draws nearer.
“He is going to look good, this is something he has done his entire career. When it’s the spring, when it’s the preseason or when he has been unbothered he has looked excellent,” Rapoport said on “The Insiders” on May 23. “It’s really a matter of when he gets in games, is he the same quarterback when it doesn’t all go perfectly?”
From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: The #Vikings will have one of the more interesting QB situations in the league in 2024.
Rapoport also called the competition with McCarthy “real” despite the Vikings’ best efforts at tempering expectations of the rookie.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Darnold takes the first snap and continues to roll with it.,” Rapoport added. “But how long can he roll with it with J.J. McCarthy sitting there waiting with all the talent he has?”
Vikings Hope Sam Darnold Can Keep J.J. McCarthy Pressure Off Him: Report
GettyQuarterback Sam Darnold, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers.
Rapoport’s assessment of the Vikings’ quarterback situation isn’t hyperbole. He echoed a similar sentiment from ESPN’s Vikings beat reporter Kevin Seifert, who wrote that the Vikings internally hope Darnold can keep the pressure from McCarthy off him.
“McCarthy is obviously the Vikings’ quarterback of the future, but they signed veteran Sam Darnold prior to the draft with the hope of avoiding a rushed ascension of a rookie into the starting role,” Seifert wrote on May 22. “Darnold has genuine supporters within the building, starting with coach Kevin O’Connell, and there is real hope that he can play credibly enough to avoid the typical pressure to play McCarthy before he is ready. It’s a matter of when, not if, McCarthy becomes the starter, but the Vikings hope Darnold can extend the ‘when’ for as long as McCarthy needs him to.”
That’s going to be a tough task for Darnold, considering there’s a fan base eager to see the shiny new toy for the offense along with a locker room that expects him to be around for the foreseeable future.
The Vikings have a difficult schedule to start the season, facing three playoff teams in their first five games — the 49ers, Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers. They also have a London game against the New York Jets in Week 5 before their bye week.
It wouldn’t be out of the question to consider McCarthy as early as Week 7 if Darnold does not get off to a strong start in those first five weeks, leaving an extra week of preparation for McCarthy during their Week 6 bye.
Vikings Are at the Scales of Darnold, McCarthy
Image courtesy of the Minnesota VikingsJ.J. McCarthy at Vikings rookie minicamps at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota.
The Vikings’ best-case scenario is McCarthy reaching the threshold they’ve set for him to become the starting quarterback before the season even starts.
However, that’s not the most likely scenario, especially given the higher ceiling the Vikings have set for McCarthy to win the starting job. Darnold has the fast track starting Week 1 considering the Vikings also want to protect McCarthy early in his development.
Darnold will have to keep the pressure off the Vikings to make a change at quarterback during that difficult stretch of the schedule to the season. Throwing McCarthy into action before he’s ready is a scenario they’re hoping to avoid at all costs.
However, on the opposite end, if Darnold leads the team to a successful start, that could impact McCarthy’s chances of taking the starting job midseason.
If there’s a reasonable chance at the playoffs, a change at quarterback becomes a more difficult decision.
McCarthy must be ready. But there also may need to be a good reason to bench Darnold.