The Minnesota Vikings will open training camp on July 27.
They face several questions, both on and off the field. But the one with the longest-lasting implications is who will be under center. Head Coach Kevin O’Connell named free agent pickup Sam Darnold the Vikings’ starter over first-round pick J.J. McCarthy entering camp.
How long that lasts will depend on several factors. But Hall of Fame wide receiver and Vikings legend Randy Moss believes McCarthy should start in short order.
“When we played, the first three guys that [were] drafted, they’re playing. There’s no if, ands, or buts about it,” Moss told Kay Adams on “Up & Adams” on July 15. “Now, the fourth, fifth, and sixth round? We’ll see. They may or may not see the field; maybe a special teamer. First three rounds back then, we played. Now you’re drafting guys first round, they’re not even seeing the field. So you ask me a question, yeah, … I don’t care if he’s not ready. He needs to be out there Week 1.”
O’Connell joked about being a “quarterback killer” during a “Faith & Leadership” conference in April, saying he has shot down the organizational urge to make moves for other quarterbacks in the past.
Keeping McCarthy under wraps until 2025 could fit that trend for the Vikings.
J.J. McCarthy Could Have ‘Redshirt’ Season in 2024
Moss is just the latest Vikings great to weigh in on McCarthy. Former wideout Adam Thielen touted McCarthy’s maturity during an interview with Paul Allen on “92Noon!” on July 1.
Moss’ former QB, Daunte Culpepper, also weighed in.
“He’s a baller; he’s definitely a baller,” Culpepper told KTSP’s Alec Ausmus on June 14. “He’s a solid, solid young man, and he’s going to be an even better quarterback, I think. He has a lot of upside and a lot of ability.”
Moss’ assertion that McCarthy should start Week 1 stands out but could be for not with Pioneer Press columnist Charley Walters forecasting McCarthy to be No. 3 on the Vikings’ depth chart.
“Vikings training camp begins in two weeks,” Walters wrote on July 13. “The way it looks now, it will be a redshirt year for rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, with Sam Darnold the starter and Nick Mullens the backup. It appears the transition plan will be to turn the starting job over to McCarthy in 2025.”
O’Connell has espoused his faith in Darnold on several occasions, and Vikings quarterbacks coach Josh McCown was the QB’s teammate on the New York Jets. That support system could lead to a longer leash for the veteran journeyman amid the Vikings’ desire to groom McCarthy.
Vikings Insider Downplays J.J. McCarthy, Dallas Turner Remaining Unsigned
Adding to the uncertainty, McCarthy is one of five rookies selected in the first round of the 2024 drat who have yet to sign their contracts. Vikings teammate Dallas Turner is another.
SKOR North’s Judd Zulgad suggested that was not a major concern.
“It’s not a contractual problem per se as far as what they’re going to make on their contract because those contracts are slotted by draft position,” Zulgad said in a video shared on X on July 15. “They’re four years guaranteed, fifth-year option for the team.”
Spotrac projects McCarthy to sign a $21.8 million contract with $12.7 million in guarantees and a $5.4 million average annual value.
Zulgad detailed three potential causes for the delay.
“One is the signing bonus. There have been reports McCarthy wants his signing bonus all up front. Maybe Turner does too,” Zulgad said. “Teams like to defer that often, so that could be a sticking point. That’s the most likely cause. The second is potential voiding of guarantees, so if there is an issue with the player, the team can get out of paying all of the guarantees. Players, obviously, fight back against that.
“The last thing is offset language. So if McCarthy or Turner bomb out here, get released, and sign elsewhere, the Vikings don’t wanna continue paying them so they double dip. The players obviously want to get what they were owed from their old team and what they’re going to get from their new team.
