The Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback situation is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about topics in the NFL this offseason, with several important decisions looming over the franchise’s future.
Currently, the Vikings have a trio of quarterbacks vying for roles in 2025: Sam Darnold, who is coming off a career year and a nomination for Comeback Player of the Year; J.J. McCarthy, a redshirt first-round rookie returning from a season-ending knee injury; and Daniel Jones, a former first-round pick for the Giants who finished the season on the active roster after spending several weeks on the practice squad.
After finishing the 2024 season with a remarkable 14-3 record, the Vikings would normally expect to return Darnold as their starting quarterback, especially following his impressive performance. However, the uncertainty surrounding his free agency and McCarthy’s potential return is complicating things.
Adding to the drama, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, who was recently named Coach of the Year, made a comment suggesting that Darnold would be a “huge part” of the team’s Super Bowl aspirations in 2025. This sparked speculation that the quarterback would definitely be returning, but O’Connell later clarified his statement.
“I don’t necessarily think that was 100% accurate,” O’Connell said in a conference call with local media. “It was in the spirit of answering a question about Sam’s season, and what he was able to do this year, and then the follow-up in regards to what it’s gonna take to win a championship.”
O’Connell went on to praise Darnold’s performance in 2024, saying, “He’s a guy that we identified last year as somebody who could come in and be successful… What that earned him is, everybody in our league now thinks he’s a bona fide, legitimate starting quarterback.”
Darnold, who signed a one-year, $10 million contract in 2024, put up impressive numbers, completing 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He led the Vikings to a strong 14-3 record, just one win shy of securing the NFC’s top seed. However, his performance in the postseason, particularly in the wild-card round, was disappointing, leaving some uncertainty about his future with the team.
Meanwhile, McCarthy, who was sidelined for the 2024 season due to a knee injury, is ready to return for his second year. O’Connell confirmed that McCarthy is healthy and eager for an opportunity to compete. McCarthy said he doesn’t expect to be handed the starting job but is hoping for a “fair opportunity” to earn the position in 2025, assuming Darnold is brought back.
The decision regarding Minnesota’s starting quarterback ultimately lies with O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. With O’Connell’s recent contract extension, the organization is committed to finding the right solution. However, the final decision may not come until the start of the new league year in March.
O’Connell remains optimistic about the situation, calling it “a good thing to have” multiple quarterbacks who have shown they can succeed within the system. He acknowledged that some of his quarterbacks may be sought after by other teams, which will only add to the complexity of the decision-making process.
“We have great dialogue with our players, and we’re just going to try to find a way to build the best possible team in 2025 that we can,” O’Connell said. “We want to be one of the teams playing in this game one day, and to do that, there’s going to be year-in-and-year-out hard decisions that get made.”
For now, the Vikings will continue to evaluate their options, with the quarterback position remaining one of the biggest questions heading into the 2025 season.