Where are the Minnesota Vikings at in the quarterback decision-making process? While it feels like time is standing still, the speed of things should increase significantly after the Super Bowl on Feb. 9. From there, the Vikings will have exactly one month before the legal negotiating period opens March 10 and free agency starts March 12.
If you do the math, it seems likely that Minnesota will have made up its mind — bring back Sam Darnold or hand the franchise to 22-year-old J.J. McCarthy — within a matter of weeks.
So what’s the latest? According to SI’s Albert Breer, the Vikings “are really happy” with McCarthy.
“He’s back moving around and throwing, and will have a full offseason following August’s meniscus repair and a subsequent second procedure in the fall that turned out to be more of a cleanup than anything else,” Breer wrote Monday.
Breer added that the Vikings feel “McCarthy can at least be a solid starter.”
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What’s it all mean? Per Breer, if Darnold will agree to a contract that meets Minnesota’s numbers, “then great.” He continued, “If not? They could tag him at around $40 million, and maybe trade him. Or tag him and keep him for a year. Or they could let him go to free agency and find out—I would guess that he lands in the Baker Mayfield ballpark on a new deal.”
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Saturday that the Vikings have a “spending cap” with Darnold. It’s unclear how much they’re willing to pay him, but it could be a similar situation that the Vikings went through with Kirk Cousins last offseason. Then, Minnesota made him an offer but the Atlanta Falcons offered more money, years and guarantees. The Vikings let Cousins walk, and the same happening with Darnold appears to be a possibility.
All in all, there’s really nothing new in Breer’s report other than him confirming that McCarthy will have a full offseason and that his second procedure (draining the knee after the initial operation) wasn’t significant.
More: Vikings could use rare transition tag on Sam Darnold
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