They say comparison is a thief of joy. And in many cases, I think this is correct.
There’s nothing more deflating than getting a big win like a new car, house, or promotion, and then immediately feeling small again because the new car isn’t as fast as someone else’s or the house isn’t as big as the neighbors’. Instead of enjoying what you have, you’re coveting what others have. I think there’s a commandment or something about that.
On the flip side, though, have you ever experienced the rush of one-upping someone else you used to hate? That kind of petty superficiality is probably bad for the soul, but it can also be motivational. Every now and then, a little pettiness can go a long way.
And in that same vein, I can’t help but wonder about the comparison game as it pertains to the Vikings quarterback drama this offseason.
The Vikings spurned the advances of three quarterbacks this offseason: Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, and Aaron Rodgers in lieu of J.J. McCarthy, their heir apparent. But as more details have come out, it’s become increasingly clear that the decision they agonized the most over wasn’t Jones or Rodgers, but the guy they had in-house.
Sam Darnold had an incredible season last year, even with a few warts on his resumé to close out the season. He was better than the organization ever could have expected, and almost convinced the Vikings to change their long-term plans to turn their fling into a real commitment. As tough as the decision was, though, Minnesota couldn’t guarantee him a starting job long term and didn’t match the Seattle Seahawks financially.
If you’re Darnold, I’m willing to bet there’s a small part of you that’s petty enough to root against McCarthy. Maybe he’s a bigger man than I am. Still, it’d boost my ego a bit to think of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell looking at me killing it in Seattle and wishing they’d picked me over the unproven commodity out of Michigan. Athletes are always finding reasons to manufacture a chip on their shoulder, and this one feels pretty automatic.
Will McCarthy vindicate all the doubters who questioned Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell for their decision? Or will Darnold get to enjoy some schadenfreude at McCarthy’s expense?
Darnold’s outlook for his Seattle tenure is interesting. His contract doesn’t provide as much long-term security as it would appear, making him cuttable after this season if his debut season in the Pacific Northwest falls short of expectations. He’s also coming into an offensive infrastructure that’s undergone a lot of change but may still carry the weight of expectation. Geno Smith was a good player for Seattle, and now Darnold takes over his mantle for a similar contract value and with arguably less talent around him.
D.K. Metcalf would’ve been a fun target downfield for Darnold’s vertically focused style, but the Seahawks sent Metcalf off to play with another quarterback on our list. Jaxon Smith-Njigba and free-agent Cooper Kupp remain to lead their passing attack, with a solid tandem of running backs in Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet behind Darnold.
JSN is a nice player who brings a lot of route-running savvy and underrated explosiveness to Seattle’s attack, and Cooper Kupp is only a few years removed from being at the top of the NFL at his position. However, injuries and Father Time seemed to have weighed Kupp down last season, and the Los Angeles Rams let the franchise stalwart go for a reason. Still, he could have an Adam Thielen-esque trajectory where he continues to be a productive player at the end of his career, even if he’s no longer elite.
There’s also the offensive line situation. The Seahawks struggled mightily up front in 2024, ranking in the bottom five in almost every category according to Next Gen stats. PFF ranked it 31st.
Every conversation about Seattle’s offense in 2024 began and ended with a lament about the state of the offensive line. They fell short in the Will Fries sweepstakes and didn’t really get splashy in free agency after that. NDSU tackle-turned-interior lineman Grey Zabel was a big addition this offseason, whom they took at No. 18 overall. If the rookie plays well, the unit may take a step forward. It’ll be hard to be worse than they were last year.
Old friend Klint Kubiak is Seattle’s offensive play-caller, which is also an interesting consideration. Vikings fans can recall the highs and lows of the Klint Kubiak era rather vividly. Combine his up-and-down Vikings tenure with the New Orleans Saints’ Jekyll and Hyde performance under Kubiak, where they looked like the hottest team in football through two weeks before spiraling into mediocrity, and he remains a bit of an enigma.
There’s some good, some bad, and it’s tough to figure out how much is on him. Kubiak is kind of the Sam Darnold of offensive coordinators. Maybe the two are made for each other in that sense. Sam Darnold may continue to thrive in an offensive system that’s similar to O’Connell’s, but it’s probably safe to assume a drop-off in schematic prowess.
So we’ve got questions at receiver, major concerns on the offensive line, and an enigmatic play caller who may or may not be any good. Those are all circumstances Darnold didn’t have to overcome in 2024, other than some similar concerns on the interior of the offensive line. Even then, I’d argue Seattle’s in a tougher spot than Minnesota was this time last season.
Then we have McCarthy. Much has been made over the incredible situation he’s stepping into, and it’s been well earned. McCarthy will throw to Justin Jefferson, the best receiver in football, with elite No. 2 and No. 3 options in Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. He has a revamped offensive line with the addition of Will Fries, Ryan Kelly, and first-round pick Donovan Jackson on the interior, and two good running backs in Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. He also has an elite play caller in Kevin O’Connell and an exciting defense led by Brian Flores on the other side of the ball.
It’s picture perfect.
To be clear, I expect McCarthy to play at a level below Sam Darnold played last year. Darnold was incredible last season. But the infrastructure around McCarthy, which was made possible by his rookie contract, combined with the long-term upside of his development, makes the decision to move forward with him a no-brainer.
Even if he is a step below Darnold’s performance from last season, it’ll take an impressive effort from Darnold in Seattle to outplay McCarthy in 2025. Even if Darnold is exactly the same player he was in 2024, he still struggled when the team around him couldn’t lift him up.
And now if he’s racing McCarthy, he’s doing so in a serviceable Honda Civic while J.J. drives the Ferrari. He’d need McCarthy to really crash and burn for a chance to win that race.
All pettiness aside, I’m rooting for Sam. I really enjoyed his time as a Viking, and the unexpected joy of him playing like that out of nowhere was some of the most fun I’ve had as a football fan.
For his sake, though, I hope he remembers that adage about how unhealthy comparisons can be, because I’ll be surprised if it’s a favorable one.