The Minnesota Vikings have such a talented football team.
They just might not have a quarterback.
And a quick look at last year's roster makes that all feel a whole lot worse.
That's because at the end of last season, the Vikings had starter Sam Darnold shining bright while trash-heap pickup Daniel Jones was waiting in the wings.
Now, Darnold is in Seattle starring for the Seahawks, and Jones is one of the best stories in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts.
The Vikings are stuck with J.J. McCarthy, who didn't look quite ready before his ankle injury, and Carson Wentz, who hasn't been good enough as a fill-in.
"They've told us they won't decide on whether McCarthy gets the starting job back until his sprained ankle has healed enough for him to be able to play," ESPN's Dan Graziano writes. "But nothing we've seen from the Vikings' 2025 quarterback room so far has given us reason to feel confident they have the answer. To make matters even worse, Daniel Jones, who finished the 2024 season as Darnold's backup, is playing great as the starter for the Colts."
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This offseason, the Vikings also had the option to pursue Aaron Rodgers but decided against it, a vote of confidence in McCarthy that so far probably would've worked out better if it was instead a vote of confidence in Rodgers.
"I figured if O'Connell decided this was the way to go, he'd earned enough trust that we should believe him. And maybe he'll be right eventually," Graziano writes. "But it's about time to stop predicting and start knowing. The Vikings made six trips to the red zone in Sunday's game against the Eagles and came away with one touchdown and five field goals, helping them lose a winnable game. Darnold is fourth in the NFL this season in red zone QBR. The Vikings have 11 more games this season to prove O'Connell's decision right. But the first six have shown it to be worth questioning."
The McCarthy injury did make this a tougher evaluation. He had that magical fourth quarter against the Bears that maybe could've been bottled up and used more throughout the season.
But with him out, rhythm was disrupted, and it could be disrupted again when he gets back. It's just not ideal at all for the Vikings right now.
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