Sam Darnold had an incredible 2024 season for the Vikings, finishing among the top six quarterbacks in the league in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and passer rating on his way to his first career Pro Bowl selection. He turned that success into a three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seahawks on Monday, putting J.J. McCarthy in line to be Minnesota's starting QB this year.
And while it might be a lot to ask to expect the 22-year-old McCarthy to replicate Darnold's statistical production or Minnesota's team success in his first season as a starter, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky thinks it's possible. Orlovsky, who has been high on McCarthy dating back to last year's draft, raved about Minnesota's young quarterback on Tuesday — and how the Vikings' free agency haul has improved the situation around him.
"I'm more confident (in McCarthy as a starter) today than I have been since he's become a Minnesota Viking, Orlovsky said on NFL Live. "I think the Vikings have declared that over the past day or two — 'Hey, you're our guy.' I don't remember a young quarterback getting given the reins to go be the starter being in this good of a situation. Maybe Patrick (Mahomes) the first year he took over, but I don't know if the (Chiefs') defense was as strong as the one that we're gonna see in Minnesota.
"With this addition of (Will) Fries and Ryan Kelly, we're talking about an offensive line that'll be top-three, top-four offensive line in the NFL. We know their perimeter players are top-three in the NFL. We know the scheme and play caller is as good as it gets in the NFL, and with some of the additions defensively, I fully expect to hit the ground running. And there should not be much of a drop-off from individual production at that position, offensive production, or team success. This is a fantastic situation."
GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings have used the competitive roster-building advantage of McCarthy's rookie contract to load up on both sides of the ball over the past couple of days, particularly in the trenches. They've added Fries and Kelly to their offensive line, signed Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave to their defensive line, retained Byron Murphy Jr. and Aaron Jones, and added Isaiah Rodgers in the secondary. That's already quite a haul, and the offseason is far from over. Other moves could be coming to continue building the roster around McCarthy.
The Vikings do still need to add a veteran quarterback to at least provide insurance at the sport's most important position. Darnold is gone, as are Daniel Jones (Colts) and Nick Mullens (Jaguars) from last year's QB room in Minnesota. But with Aaron Rodgers rumors continuing to swirl, Orlovsky hopes the Vikings don't go down that road, considering what it would mean for McCarthy.
"That would be a mistake by the Minnesota Vikings," Orlovsky said on Get Up on Tuesday morning. "Minnesota, you've made the determination, the decision to allow Sam Darnold to go. You've now declared this is more than likely J.J. McCarthy's football team, and we want it to be J.J. McCarthy's football team. Aaron comes with a lot. Whether people like it or not, it's a lot. Do not bring that into your building. Do not bring that into your football team. You're handing the keys over to a young player and saying 'This is going to be your opportunity, lead us forward.' And bringing Aaron Rodgers in is going to hinder that in some capacity, stunt that in some capacity."
The two most likely landing spots for Rodgers appear to be the Giants and Steelers, while potential veteran backup QB options for the Vikings could include Gardner Minshew, Carson Wentz, and Mac Jones.
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