The Minnesota Vikings ought to be regretting a specific poor decision made during the offseason.

Travis Wakeman

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Minnesota Vikings should be kicking themselves for one particularly bad offseason move image

TL;DR

  • The Minnesota Vikings had a strong 2024 season but faced quarterback uncertainty.
  • They chose J.J. McCarthy over Sam Darnold, who then signed with the Seattle Seahawks.
  • The Vikings also let Daniel Jones depart, opting for Sam Howell and Carson Wentz instead.
  • McCarthy's performance and injuries have led to significant quarterback mismanagement concerns.

The 2024 Minnesota Vikings were one of the best teams in the NFL. Though they lost in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, they went 14-3 in the regular season and seemed like a team on the rise behind one of the league's top young head coaches. 

The primary concern revolved around the quarterback role. The team had selected Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with their initial draft choice. Having just helped the Wolverines secure the national championship, he ultimately sat out his entire rookie year because of a torn meniscus in his right knee. 

The Vikings had also brought in Sam Darnold through free agency, and he demonstrated exceptional performance for the team. This situation presented the Vikings with a difficult decision. Should they offer Darnold a substantial contract renewal, or should they proceed with the player they selected in the initial round of the draft? 

The Vikings chose to go with McCarthy, which was arguably the right move. Darnold signed a three-year, $100.5 deal with the Seattle Seahawks. That's a rich deal and the Vikings knew it would be costly to keep him. But that's where the horrendous mismanagement of the quarterback position begins. 

 

McCarthy was always going to be the No. 1 quarterback this season, but the team had another option that was perfect. After being released by the New York Giants last season, Daniel Jones was signed to the Vikings' practice squad. He never appeared in a game for the Vikings, but it seemed the team could see what he had to offer and work on a future deal with him. 

This offseason, Jones inked a one-year, $14 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts. The question remains: why did the Vikings allow him to depart?

While Jones might have found a more promising chance for playing time in Indianapolis (and he would have been right), the Vikings could have presented a superior offer to the Colts and assured him an opportunity to contend for the starting role. 

Instead, the team chose to trade for Sam Howell and then traded him before the season even started in favor of signing Carson Wentz, who was a street free agent. Wentz then had to make several starts this season when McCarthy was out with an injury, and that could have, and should have, been Jones. 

Indianapolis has been a successful environment for Jones, as the Vikings contemplate their quarterback situation. McCarthy's showing in Week 12 against the Green Bay Packers has raised significant doubts about his role with the team. Compounding the issue, he might be sidelined for the team's Week 13 matchup due to a concussion, necessitating the Vikings to rely on undrafted rookie Max Brosmer. 

The Vikings' decision, whether due to frugality or overconfidence in McCarthy, appears destined to worsen their situation considerably, a predicament that was entirely avoidable. 

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Editorial Team