Despite it seeming like everything recently has been pointing to the Minnesota Vikings moving on from Sam Darnold and transitioning to J.J. McCarthy as the team's new starting quarterback this year, there are still some who aren't fully on board with that scenario.
Some new info from the Washington Post's Jason La Canfora is only going to add fuel to those who still doubt that Darnold leaving Minnesota is a done deal. Earlier this week, La Canfora shared that multiple NFL executives have told him they don't think the Vikings are going to let Darnold leave this offseason.
"Several executives from quarterback-needy teams, who would have at least some interest in Darnold, suggested he’s not going anywhere. I hear that J.J. McCarthy, who lost his entire rookie year to injury, still has significant work to do to rebuild his body, let alone adjust to the NFL. 'They have to tag Darnold,' the first GM said. 'Those guys aren’t stupid.'”
Is the decision about J.J. McCarthy and Sam Darnold closer for the Minnesota Vikings than we thought?
What might stand out the most from the info La Canfora shared is that he mentioned how McCarthy still has "significant work to do to rebuild his body."
ESPN's Kevin Seifert reported last month that McCarthy lost more than 20 pounds since suffering his knee injury last August. So, one would imagine gaining that weight back might be the "significant work" that La Canfora is referring to.
But are people really concerned about a professional athlete being able to add weight and strength throughout the course of an entire offseason, especially with a team like the Vikings, who have arguably the best training facilities in the entire NFL?
It just seems like something that has been blown out of proportion ever since McCarthy was shown on the sidelines in Week 18 looking slimmer than he did before suffering his knee injury in August.
That's the other thing too. McCarthy didn't suffer a Teddy Bridgewater-esque knee explosion last summer. He tore his MCL, which is an injury that former legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady actually played through when he helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win the Super Bowl in 2020.
Minnesota and McCarthy deciding to have him undergo a full MCL repair was an investment in the quarterback's future more than anything else. Instead of electing for a surgery that would have been more of a quick fix with the potential to become a problem again down the road, the Vikings can now feel very comfortable about McCarthy's knee not being an issue for the next handful of years.
Does Minnesota have any hesitation about handing over the starting job to McCarthy after the season that Darnold just put together? Of course they do. But is it enough to cause the Vikings to place the franchise tag on Darnold and immediately lose more than $40 million in cap space?
For those who have been paying attention to this situation closely for the last few months, that's a question that most already know the answer to.