Kevin O'Connell: J.J. McCarthy, Sam Darnold 'ahead' of expectations

'I think it's really important that every single quarterback should be treated with the respect of their own individual process and plan.'

J.J. McCarthy during a summer offseason practice with the Vikings. / Image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said that Sam Darnold and rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy are "farther ahead than where I thought they would be."

O'Connell, speaking to KFAN's Dan Barreiro on Wednesday, discussed the progress of his new quarterbacks and where he sees the competition between the two. Notably, O'Connell didn't necessarily rule out the possibility that McCarthy wins the job ahead of the season opener.

"I definitely don't want to be in a world where anybody shows up to this building everyday thinking they've got a ceiling, you know a timestamp on them of what the expectations are," O'Connell said when discussing the QB competition. "The expectations are to come in here and be on a daily mission to be the best version of J.J. McCarthy, of Sam Darnold, of Aaron Jones, of Justin Jefferson and that's the challenge we've gotten these players to really understand."

O'Connell and Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have been consistent with their message that they are not going to rush McCarthy into the starting role, consistently noting the former Michigan QB would have to clear benchmarks before he is able to take meaningful snaps.

So far through training camp, that has proven to be the case. McCarthy has primarily taken second-team snaps while journeyman Darnold has taken the bulk of the first-team snaps.

O'Connell said earlier this week that he felt Darnold had "earned" the right to take the first-team snaps in the early portion of camp.

"I think it's really important that every single quarterback should be treated with the respect of their own individual process and plan," O'Connell said when discussing the development of McCarthy. "There is no cookie cutter way of doing it. There's a feel of how you coach the position.

"There's a demand you put on the expectations for daily growth and progress. ... I'm very fortunate for the first time in my career to be able to partly be in charge to make the decision of when I believe J.J. McCarthy will ready to go."

The team has staked its future on the success of McCarthy becoming the long-term solution at quarterback that the organization has long sought after. That type of expectation is why O'Connell has been intentionally slow in bringing the rookie along.

"I will say this much, I do believe in playing the best player that gives you the best chance to win," O'Connell said. "But that doesn't always fall in a timeline that maybe makes folks happy in regards to this game, or this opener, or when and where is it going to happen. It's an organic thing based upon a lot of hours and time."