Through six games, quarterback play has been one of the biggest pitfalls of the Minnesota Vikings’ season.
There have been some high points, such as J.J. McCarthy mounting a comeback to win against the Chicago Bears in Week 1. However, most of it has been just plain bad. No example was more glaring than Carson Wentz throwing two interceptions and missing numerous touchdown opportunities last week against the Eagles.
I could cut up the film of the lowlights but this TikToker covered most of them https://t.co/SczYG8VO8r
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) October 21, 2025
It’s hard not to miss Sam Darnold. The former third-overall pick has top-10 marks in yards (seventh), touchdowns (eighth), and QBR (third), leading the Seattle Seahawks to a 5-2 record. Signed as a bridge quarterback to McCarthy last year, Darnold went 14-3 and had 35 touchdowns and over 4,300 yards passing as a member of the Vikings. However, Kevin O’Connell hasn’t been able to work similar magic with Wentz.
The Vikings also had Daniel Jones on their roster after he signed with the practice squad toward the end of last year. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts in the offseason and leads the league in QBR, is fifth in passing yards, and fourth in completion percentage on the AFC’s first-place team.
From the outside, it appears the Vikings allowed two solutions to their quarterback predicament to walk in free agency.
As much as fans will lament letting go of Darnold and Jones, they likely wouldn’t have worked out in Minnesota. Darnold signed a $100 million deal with Seattle that the Vikings wouldn’t have matched with a top-10 pick waiting in the wings, and Darnold was never going to turn down a starting job over a bridge deal in front of a top-10 pick.
It’s also important to remember that Darnold struggled in the final two games of last year. His 166-yard, zero TD clunker against the Detroit Lions cost the Vikings the No. 1 seed. In the 27-9 Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams, he completed 25 of 40 passes for 245 yards, a touchdown, an interception, and a back-breaking fumble that the Rams returned for a touchdown.
It wasn’t a guarantee he’d put up the numbers he did most of the regular season again. Given the roster-building advantages of having a quarterback on a rookie deal, the Vikings likely wouldn’t have extended Darnold for $100 million. They could have franchise tagged him for $40 million and kept him on the roster for one more year, but having the cap flexibility proved to be more lucrative to shore up some gaping holes on the roster.
With the money they saved by letting Darnold walk, the Vikings were able to acquire players like Isaiah Rodgers, Javon Hargrave, and Jonathan Allen on defense, who have all made a positive impact. It also allowed them to sign Ryan Kelly and Will Fries to solidify the offensive line. Fries has been solid all year, while Kelly played well until a concussion placed him on IR.
So Darnold priced himself out of Minnesota, but what about Jones? He’s thriving in Indianapolis on a one-year, $14 million deal, something the Vikings probably could’ve afforded. However, Jones reportedly indicated that he felt the Colts gave him a better chance to start compared to the Vikings, so he wasn’t interested in signing with them anyway.
Understanding the system Jones is in also plays a significant factor. Similar to O’Connell, Colts head coach Shane Steichen is known for elevating the quarterbacks on his roster. The system he has built, which includes numerous play-action and RPO plays based on the successful running game led by Jonathan Taylor, gets receivers open enough for Jones. Therefore, he often just has to make the right read and pick up chunk gains.
Jones has performed well, given his history. But there’s no guarantee he’d have the same success in Minnesota. The Vikings employ a different system and have a worse running game in every metric.
In both cases, it’s clear the Vikings wanted to retain their QBs from last season, but they would’ve been stopgaps until McCarthy was ready. With both electing to take other offers, it speeds up McCarthy’s timeline a bit, which results in the lackluster play we’ve seen from him in Weeks 1 and 2. It’s too small a sample to declare him a bust, especially now that he’s battling a high ankle sprain.
Hindsight is 20/20, and I’m sure some part of the Vikings’ front office wishes they could’ve kept Darnold or Jones based on how they’ve started the year. Still, giving up on McCarthy is not the answer. He remains the future of this team.
The results may not be what they want right now, but Minnesota’s process is right. This isn’t a case of them neglecting what they already had. They did their due diligence to try to bring back some QBs that they thought could be good for them. Instead, it’s a case of them banking on their future and building a team around what they hope will be a cornerstone of their franchise.