Everybody is along for the QB ride now
Vikings veterans were supportive of JJ McCarthy on Wednesday... as Max Brosmer gets ready to start
By Matthew Coller
EAGAN — If you figured this week would turn into a referendum on the Minnesota Vikings decision to roll with JJ McCarthy rather than bringing back Sam Darnold, well, you were right.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini returned to Vikings fans’ lives on Wednesday with a report on their decision that had some noteworthy comments. Here are two that stood out most:
“Even with differences in opinion about the quarterbacks inside the building, most notably with some in the organization wanting to retain Darnold, they decided collectively to back the 22-year-old McCarthy.”
Differences of opinion inside the building, aye? Is what why we ended up finding out about reports regarding Aaron Rodgers?
Not that it’s unique to have disagreements on a decision of that magnitude. At the end of the day, the owner, GM and head coach landed on the decision to move on from Darnold and stay with McCarthy.
They concluded that stacking the roster up in free agency and giving McCarthy an accelerated QB training class was better than having some shortcomings on the rest of the 53 and running it back with a Pro Bowl QB. They knew that there was a possibility that it could all go wrong and took the risk, presumably thinking that they would have a limited ceiling with Darnold and the less-gifted squad around him. Maybe they would deny it but it’s impossible to ignore the potential impact of the final two games on their decision as well.
We assumed that the reason they went with McCarthy was based strongly on what they had seen behind the scenes. In fact, they brought it up numerous times, including Mark Wilf mentioning his work ethic while injured as a reason to avoid signing Aaron Rodgers. But Russini’s article seems to cast a little doubt on that.
She wrote:
“So now what? Delay McCarthy again? I’ve been told there were some concerns about how another year sitting on the bench would affect him. And would it even help?”
It feels like we are missing a sentence there. Why were there concerns about how sitting out would impact him? He seemed perfectly fine during 2024 training camp with the concept of being behind Darnold. If he couldn’t emotionally/mentally handle competing in camp or waiting his turn like Mahomes/Rodgers/Love, then why did they think he was mature enough to handle the keys to an entire NFL organization with dozens of veteran players?
Would it even help? How would it not help? For a player with serious issues with his technical throwing ability, hundreds of throws in full speed practices with no pressure of getting demolished by Micah Parsons wouldn’t help?
Some odd stuff there.
Whatever the case, the Vikings can’t go back in time and franchise tag Darnold. They can only move forward. Where the journey goes from here is anybody’s guess.
On Wednesday, Justin Jefferson, whose opinion on the quarterback matter should loom large going forward, asked for patience regarding McCarthy.
“It’s early,” Jefferson said. “He’s new to the game. He’s new to the NFL. He’s learning just like everyone else has to learn as a rookie, and he obviously had to go through the mental stage of having to overcome an injury the first year. So just a tough transition for him. But I feel like just him learning these past couple games, and of course learning [during] the stretch of this season, I feel like he’s going to bounce back in a different way than everybody else is going to think so.”
The question is whether he will get a chance to bounce back. McCarthy didn’t just play six up-and-down football games, he produced the lowest QB rating in the NFL, the second worst turnover-worthy play rate (Jake Browning), the highest pressure-to-sack rate and the 38th (of 41) PFF grade. Not to mention that the team lost four of his six starts and only produced 19, 17 and 6 points in the last three weeks (and one of the touchdowns was a two play drive where both plays were runs).
That level of quarterback play in the NFL always comes along with teams looking at other options. The only exceptions to that would be if the club drafted No. 1 the previous year and had a tanking team. Even then, the leash wouldn’t be very long, as we’ve seen from other QBs like Trey Lance and Anthony Richardson.
The fact that he’s had three injuries that have caused him to miss time also must be considered.
We can safely say that anything is on the table now. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler already named dropped Daniel Jones — yes, that Daniel Jones — as a potential option for next season because Jones is a free agent.
You would imagine that every agent for an available quarterback will be rushing their client to Minnesota for a visit. Jameis Winston? Kyler Murray? Aaron Rodgers? Kirk Cousins? Marcus Mariota? Jimmy G? Tua? Trevor Lawrence?
Is there another McCown somewhere? Prepare yourselves for every QB with a pulse to be connected to this team.
Or at least that’s how it’s going right now. The absolutely wild thing about the quarterback position is how fast things can change. Last year the Carolina Panthers were getting phone calls on Bryce Young, then he had a good end to the season and they elected to stick with him. Week by week, Young makes arguments for the Panthers to stick with him or cut bait. Heck, he could be the Vikings QB next year or he could get a long-term contract extension, depending on how their season ends.
That’s insane. That’s also how the NFL works. Cousins got an extension after winning a 2019 playoff game. Darnold got sent packing after losing one. We have no idea who could be available right now because we haven’t seen the entire picture.
Speaking of which, we haven’t seen the rest of this season for the Vikings either.
There’s a realistic scenario where McCarthy returns next week and has some very good performances against the Commanders, Cowboys and Giants and begins to convince the organization that they don’t need to get into a bidding war for Daniel Jones.
There’s a realistic scenario where Max Brosmer plays well enough against Seattle that he doesn’t give McCarthy the job back this year and enters the QB competition in 2026 as the favorite i.e. Brock Purdy.
Funny enough, if you thought you were being a crazy optimist by thinking Brosmer has Purple Purdy potential, Russini quoted a scout in her article saying the same thing.
The chances that Brosmer ends up being Purdy aren’t particularly high but the NFL has proven to us over and over and over that the quarterback position is unpredictable.
Anything could happen next in the Vikings’ QB saga. Ironically, in a season that we expected to be the most interesting in a really long time, the drama has just shot through the roof because of McCarthy’s struggles.
As an aside, there seems to be empathy for McCarthy in the Vikings locker room. He was tossed into a position that was incredibly ideal in terms of personnel and system but not in terms of pressure and expectations. He was put in a spot where anything short of instant success would be crushed by fans/media because of the bold path the Vikings took after last season.
“I always tell him… I’m proud of him,” running back Aaron Jones said. “One day you’re going to look back at these times and kind of laugh on it or… just be thankful for the process. And the ones who’ve counted you out, they’re going to have to recount.”
You do have to feel bad for McCarthy. You also have to plan on somebody else being QB next year, but you do have to feel bad. I’ll never ask the team to let go of a QB of Darnold’s caliber again. Keeping Darnold is quickly rocketing to the top of Vikings’ What If lore, and that isn’t easy to do.
The funny thing: back in August, I don't remember anyone--not a beat writer, not a national writer, not an online film assessor, not a bartender--saying JJMC has "serious issues with his technical throwing ability." There has been a massive regression since those joint practices, and now he can't stay healthy either.
Things have gotten dismal in a hurry.