The Minnesota Vikings have been present at the NFL’s recent award show. Following last season, Kevin O’Connell was named Coach of the Year. The only other Vikings coach to win the trophy was Hall of Famer Bud Grant. Finalist Sam Darnold, meanwhile, couldn’t win his Comeback Player of the Year award.
Vikings Have a Sneaky Award Candidate
Darnold delivered 35 touchdowns in the regular season, leading the Vikings to an unexpected 14-3 record. He subsequently got his payday (although he might have expected more) from the Seattle Seahawks.
His nomination for Comeback Player was quite controversial. He didn’t come back from injury; his hardship was being a former Jets draft pick who also flamed out with the Panthers and spent a year as a backup.
Because his bid gained some steam early in the year, AP’s Rob Maaddi tweeted in October, “Vikings QB Sam Darnold probably would’ve been a candidate for the Comeback Player of the Year award before the AP issued guidance to voters before the season, instructing them that “the spirit of the award is to honor a player who has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness, physical injury or other circumstances that led him to miss playing time the previous season.” If he keeps playing at this level, Darnold could end up with another award: Most Valuable Player.
Still, Darnold was a finalist, ultimately losing the honors to Joe Burrow. His previous season ended early due to a thumb injury, which at least qualifies for the description of “physical injury that led him to miss playing time in the previous season.” Burrow also played at an MVP level, a trophy he presumably lost because his defense cost him a trip to the postseason.
After the 2023 season, Joe Flacco won the award ahead of Damar Hamlin, which sparked the controversy.
Regardless, less than two months after Burrow’s triumph, Vikings fans can look ahead at the next ceremony because they have a new candidate for that same exact award: Darnold’s successor, J.J. McCarthy.
The sophomore is expected to be Minnesota’s QB1 in the upcoming season. He should qualify after missing his entire rookie season with a knee injury, although it could be argued whether someone could actually “come back” without ever having played in the NFL.
That, however, will be up to the voters. The betting sites list McCarthy pretty highly (+800). The three favorites are Dak Prescott, Aidan Hutchinson, and Christian McCaffrey.
McCarthy has gotten a ton of praise from anyone who’s asked about him. Current and past teammates alike rave about his mindset and willingness to learn. He is in a wonderful position, perhaps one of the best ever for a first-year starter.
The former Michigan passer enters an offense led by reigning Coach of the Year O’Connell, who has shown that he can get the best out of quarterbacks early in their stints together. Throwing the ball to elite weapons like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson will help, too. Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason should produce a respectable running game.
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In the age of poor offensive line play, the Vikings have solidified theirs, starting with the tackles Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw. The interior should be improved after the additions of Will Fries and Ryan Kelly. Blake Brandel, the weakness on paper, was not a rockstar in his first year as a left guard, but he wasn’t a disaster either and has a chance to build on his 2024 campaign.
The Vikings have a stacked roster, but it will depend on McCarthy’s performance in the upcoming season. If he can even come close to Darnold’s 2024 numbers, the sky is the limit for the club in the playoff picture and for the passer in award conversations.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt