Sam Darnold's flop makes Vikings' QB decision clear: It's J.J. McCarthy time

Darnold had an outstanding season, but he fell apart in Minnesota's two biggest games.
Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) warms up before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) warms up before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
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If there's a silver lining to come from Sam Darnold's rough outing in the Vikings' season-ending loss to the Rams on Monday night, it's that the team's offseason quarterback decision now appears to be pretty straightforward. It's time to hand J.J. McCarthy the keys to the car.

Two weeks ago, it looked like Darnold had forced himself into Minnesota's future plans. He had just torn up the Packers' defense in the Vikings' ninth consecutive win, leaping into the arms of his overjoyed teammates after the victory. That week, he earned a well-deserved Pro Bowl selection, the first of his career. He was playing at such a high level that the idea of letting him leave in free agency was starting to be difficult to fathom.

It took just two games for the entire picture to change drastically. First, Darnold flopped with everything on the line in Detroit in Week 18. Then, instead of bouncing back in his first playoff start, he put up another dud. Darnold's performance against the Rams will be remembered for the nine sacks he took, most of which came more than four seconds after the snap, but he wasn't particularly accurate when he did throw the ball. Those two issues compounded to make it a rough night for the seventh-year quarterback in the most important game of his life.

These are Darnold's combined numbers from the last two games, in which the Vikings scored a total of one touchdown and 18 points: 43 of 81 (53 percent), 411 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 fumble lost, 11 sacks. It wasn't close to good enough in a pair of primetime road contests against very good teams.

The harsh reality is that while Darnold played extremely well for the large majority of this season, his play in the two biggest games is what matters most. He was shaky from an accuracy standpoint. His previous success escaping pressure in the pocket and making plays turned into him holding onto the ball for far too long and taking drive-killing sack after drive-killing sack on Monday night. To use the infamous phrase from earlier in his career, it looked like he was seeing ghosts at times.

To be clear, it wasn't all Darnold's fault. The Rams' defensive line played an incredible game. The Vikings' offensive line got whooped. Kevin O'Connell was out-coached by both Sean McVay and Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula.

But that's actually part of the reason why the Vikings should let Darnold walk and turn things over to McCarthy. Instead of franchise tagging Darnold for $41 million or signing him to even the Baker Mayfield deal (three years, $100 million), the Vikings need to pour their cap space into getting better in the trenches. That starts with upgrading the interior of the offensive line. They have to address a few weaknesses across their roster, and the best way to do that is by taking advantage of the rookie quarterback contract.

Yes, McCarthy is unproven in the NFL and coming off a knee injury that cost him his rookie season. But the Vikings drafted him tenth overall to be their franchise quarterback, and all he did last offseason before getting hurt was validate their belief in him. McCarthy looked the part in training camp and his one preseason game. He was a big-game performer in college. If he pans out for the Vikings while on his rookie deal, it would change everything in regards to their ceiling.

This was an incredible season from Darnold, but the last two games have made it clear: It's time for Minnesota to dive headfirst into the McCarthy era.


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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.