There is still some debate on whether or not the Minnesota Vikings should bring Sam Darnold back in 2025. Although the team drafted J.J. McCarthy last year, some fans and analysts aren’t in favor of moving on from a guy who made the Pro Bowl to a player who missed his rookie season with an injury.
FS1’s Craig Carton believes the Vikings should bring back Darnold. On “Breakfast Ball,” he shared why he’s hesitant about starting McCarthy next year. However, his reasoning for the decision is questionable.
The Vikings were a team that was good enough to win 15 games last year and you want them to turn the keys over to a rookie QB coming off a torn ACL? No thank you sir.
No one expects every media member to know every detail about the Vikings’ season. But when a media member makes a bold statement that includes two inaccuracies (the Vikings won 14 games, and McCarthy tore his meniscus), it feels like an off-the-cuff take to generate clicks.
Carton finishes the clip by saying he’s comfortable sitting McCarthy because his salary is low. That’s an accurate statement, but the reasoning isn’t sound. The Vikings could use the money they save by moving on from Darnold to build a better team around McCarthy. Even if he couldn’t replicate Darnold’s numbers in 2025, the team could still be better suited to advance in the playoffs.
The rant felt like Carton was being asked about the Vikings’ quarterback situation for the first time since their loss to the Los Angeles Rams last month. It’s okay if he hasn’t thought about the Vikings. He just shouldn’t be going on TV and giving grandiose statements.
.@craigcartonlive doesn’t think the Vikings should hand over the keys to JJ McCarthy next season:
“The Vikings were a team that was good enough to win 15 games last year and you want them to turn the keys over to a rookie QB coming off a torn ACL? No thank you sir.” pic.twitter.com/XbLRrtjdRZ
— Breakfast Ball (@BrkfstBallOnFS1) February 18, 2025