Before the 2024 NFL season started, it seemed inevitable that, though the Minnesota Vikings had signed quarterback Sam Darnold in free agency, the team would eventually hand over the reins to rookie first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy. No one knew exactly when that would happen, but it was all but inevitable that it would.
However, that handoff may be much further down the road than anyone could have expected, thanks not only to McCarthy’s preseason knee injury but also the amount of success the Vikings have had this season under Darnold.
Minnesota is currently sitting at 12-2, riding a 7-game win-streak, and in control of their own destiny in both the NFC North and the overall playoff picture in the NFC. If the Vikings win out, they’ll secure the top overall seed in the NFC and the coveted first-round bye.
All of that has many asking the question: Is it enough to bring Darnold back next season, hitting the pause button on McCarthy’s career for another season? According to one NFL analyst, it’s within the realm of possibility — but it won’t come without a hefty price.
According to Sports Illustrated’s NFL insider Albert Breer, it’s not crazy to think that the Vikings would be interested in bringing back Darnold for another season, giving McCarthy “a second redshirt year.” Breer likens it to the Los Angeles (San Diego at the time) Chargers in 2005 when they placed the franchise tag on Drew Brees to keep him around for another season after drafting his heir apparent, Philip Rivers.
If Minnesota wants to keep Darnold around, they, too, would have to use the franchise tag on Darnold. That tag would cost the Vikings north of $40 million. Minnesota has the cap space next season to do that, but will they be willing to pony up that kind of money for a guy who many thought was only a short-term answer and not a factor in the team’s long-term plans?
Anything is possible, and the next few weeks will likely go a long way towards determining just how plausible the scenario becomes.