The Minnesota Vikings enter training camp with one of the NFL’s most intriguing quarterback battles. Sam Darnold will look to fend off rookie J.J. McCarthy for what could be his last shot at a QB1 job.
Darnold is still starting camp with the inside track on the starting gig.
Per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell repeated Monday that Darnold will get most of the offense’s first-team reps. However, McCarthy will play some snaps with the starters.
The Vikings signed Darnold to a one-year, $10 million deal after losing longtime starter Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons. The following month, they traded up to the No. 10 pick to draft McCarthy.
Following a tumultuous two seasons with the Carolina Panthers, Darnold spent the 2023 campaign as Brock Purdy’s backup on the San Francisco 49ers. The former No. 3 pick jumps from one stacked offense to another.
Minnesota reportedly has high hopes for Darnold. ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler said on Saturday’s SportsCenter that the Vikings are “really excited” about unlocking a late-career breakout.
“They believe there’s untapped potential here,” Fowler said, via Bleacher Report. “He’s never quite had a supporting cast like this with Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones, so he’s underachieved so far. They’re hoping he can maybe have a Geno Smith-type impact like in Seattle.”
On the other hand, the Vikings don’t want to rush McCarthy into action.
Darnold has completed just 59.7 percent of his passes for a 78.3 quarterback rating, 63 touchdowns, and 56 interceptions in 66 career games. The 27-year-old looks poised to get another opportunity to prove himself as a capable NFL starter.
Related: Vikings Announce Starting Quarterback Entering Training Camp