The Minnesota Vikings took their lumps last season as they missed the playoffs and finished with a 9-8 record. But that pain was amplified when Sam Darnold went and won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks.
After leading the Vikings to 14 wins during the 2024 season, Darnold left the team in free agency to clear the way for J.J. McCarthy to be the team’s starter.
But even if his former team placed their confidence in the younger, cheaper signal caller, Darnold shares no hard feelings, and during a recent episode of the San Clemente Podcast, he revealed that he believes the decision speaks volumes about McCarthy’s future in the NFL.
“I totally understand the move to go with the younger quarterback on the rookie deal, and signing these veteran players that you can pay a little more while he’s on his rookie deal, especially if you believe in him.
The business side of it, I totally understand. And like, I think J.J’s a good player. I think he’s going to be a really good player in this league. I truly believe in that.
And, you know, for them to see that and be like, all right, we’re going to, you know, ‘Sam, that was a great year…but the business part of it,’ it was like ‘OK, you know, I totally understand that.’”
Sam Darnold’s comments should convince Minnesota Vikings to use patience with J.J. McCarthy
When it comes to the history of the Vikings, Darnold and McCarthy will be attached at the hip. Both came to Minnesota during the 2024 season, and when Darnold left the following offseason, he handed the keys to McCarthy for his first year as a starter.
Of course, both went in opposite directions, with Darnold winning a Super Bowl and McCarthy struggling so badly the Vikings brought in Kyler Murray to compete for the starting quarterback role this season. But despite his success, Darnold’s outlook on McCarthy’s future hasn’t changed.
The 10th overall pick in the NFL Draft, McCarthy spent the entire 2024 season in the same quarterback room as Darnold.
While many expected him to take over the starting role at some point during his rookie year, McCarthy tore his meniscus in Minnesota’s first preseason game and missed the entire season, leading to a “redshirt” year.
While there was a valid case to either sign Darnold to a new contract or use the franchise tag to keep him in Minnesota, they opted to let him leave based on their faith in McCarthy.
Minnesota still wanted to keep Daniel Jones, who was also in the quarterback room at the end of the 2024 campaign, as a placeholder to allow McCarthy to develop behind the scenes, but Jones also left due to the Vikings' outlook on McCarthy and signed with the Indianapolis Colts.
McCarthy struggled with injuries and his on-field performance, completing 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 10 games.
As a result, there’s been some revisionist history among fans who believe they should have kept Darnold and the Vikings themselves, who have established Murray as a heavy favorite to win the starting quarterback job this offseason.
But Darnold is the latest teammate of McCarthy to vouch for him and probably knows what he’s going through. After being drafted third overall by the New York Jets in the 2018 draft, Darnold struggled and was traded to the Carolina Panthers after the 2020 season.
While he struggled with another dysfunctional organization, he had a reset year as Brock Purdy’s backup with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023 and used that confidence to fuel a 14-win season with the Vikings in 2024 and a Super Bowl ring with the Seahawks last season.
Darnold hasn’t been one to trash a former team or teammate despite the turbulence he’s experienced in his career. But going through his own struggles could help him see the diamond in the rough the Vikings may have if they give McCarthy enough time to let things play out.
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