The Minnesota Vikings are going to look much different on offense in the 2024 NFL season.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins’ six-year run with the team came to an end when he signed a mega-deal with the Atlanta Falcons to open free agency.
The Vikings countered by signing former first-round pick Sam Darnold to a one-year contract and drafting former Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the tenth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
While a quarterback competition is expected throughout the preseason, head coach Kevin O’Connell told the media Wednesday that going into training camp, Darnold has the top spot on the depth chart.
“I would say Sam would be the guy I would look to based on the spring he’s had and, really, where he’s at in his career and his quarterback journey,” O’Connell said, via Pro Football Talk.
McCarthy will likely have plenty of time to prove himself in the preseason, but also being just 21 years old as he enters his first professional season does offer an opportunity for the rookie to sit and learn behind Darnold and the coaching staff for as long as necessary. Even if it winds up being the whole season, he would still be one of the NFL’s youngest quarterbacks at 22 going into 2025.
In 66 career games across three teams, Darnold has thrown for over 12,000 yards and 63 touchdowns to 56 interceptions.