After trading up in the first round of this year’s draft to choose J.J McCarthy as their quarterback of the future, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reports that the Minnesota Vikings intend to let him learn behind Sam Darnold until at least the start of training camp. The Vikings signed Darnold to a one-year contract this offseason and intend to use it fully as their starter.
Minnesota Vikings GM on McCarthy: “We’re not going to rush his development”
Minnesota has demonstrated patience as McCarthy makes his way to the field. According to General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, they will not rush his growth and would do what is best for the squad, whether in the short or long term.
McCarthy shot up draft boards during Michigan’s national championship run and is the youngest of the six quarterbacks chosen in the first round of his class. McCarthy threw for 2,991 yards, 22 touchdowns, and four interceptions in his great 2023 season for the Wolverines, despite the fact that the offence was run-heavy. He also completed 72.3% of his passes, leading the NFL in 2023 by more than three percentage points.
McCarthy Set to Take Over Starting Job in the 2025-26 Season
Despite McCarthy’s consistency and winning mentality, holding him back and allowing him to learn behind a veteran will help him avoid some of the pitfalls that rookie quarterbacks make. This strategy has been successful for a number of today’s league’s starting quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Jordan Love, Lamar Jackson—the list goes on.
The 21-year-old rookie will most likely start training camp behind Darnold, but it won’t be long until the national champion gets his chance to lead this offence. Only signing Darnold for one season shows that Minnesota was always looking to select and nurture a young quarterback. McCarthy is likely to get that opportunity at the start of next season, or even sooner if Darnold is not the right solution as Kirk Cousins’ immediate replacement.
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