The Minnesota Vikings have some tough decisions to make at quarterback this season. Reports have gone back and forth on what the team would like to do, but the main options are to start Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy.
There are positives and negatives to Darnold or McCarthy, but it will be a challenge for the Vikings to match the 14 wins and playoff appearance that the team accomplished in 2024 despite having low expectations.
Minnesota isn't going to surprise teams in 2025. There is plenty of tape on the aggressive defensive scheme of Brian Flores and how the Vikings' offense likes to attack under head coach Kevin O'Connell.
However, there is a situation that has a former NFL quarterback scared for the future of J.J. McCarthy and that situation involves the Minnesota Vikings making the wrong decision involving Sam Darnold in free agency.
Ex-NFL QB shares how Minnesota Vikings could sabotage J.J. McCarthy's future this year
In a video shared on X, former NFL quarterback Cody Kessler spoke on NFL Network about the Minnesota Vikings' quarterback situation and the options of re-signing Sam Darnold or expecting J.J. McCarthy to start.
Here is what he had to say:
"It would be best for the Vikings and Sam Darnold to both go their separate ways. The reason I think that is because Sam Darnold wants to be paid like a franchise quarterback. He wants to build off the momentum from last season. He wants to go somewhere where he can be 'the guy.'"Cody Kessler
Even if the Vikings re-sign Sam Darnold, that's no guarantee that he will be Minnesota's guy. There will always be the threat of J.J. McCarthy breathing down his neck and people will start to question his role if things go south like they did at the end of the 2024 season.
"The Vikings need to do right by J.J. McCarthy. They invested the tenth overall pick in him and, in my opinion, if you keep Sam Darnold around who is only 27 years old, by the way, that's an important factor in this. He's not a 35 to 40 year old veteran on his way out of the NFL. If he plays well again, he's gonna be there for a long time."Cody Kessler
At some point, the Minnesota Vikings will need to see what they have in J.J. McCarthy. It's a good sign for the team's first-round pick in 2024 that the franchise tag was not used on Sam Darnold but that doesn't mean a deal can't be worked out to bring last year's starter back to the team.
If J.J. McCarthy is healthy and ready to start, it will be difficult to sit him for another season. The salary cap space saved by not re-signing Darnold can be used to improve other areas of weakness on the roster and prepare for the future instead of investing more heavily in only the short term success of the franchise.