The Minnesota Vikings had a tough decision to make last offseason between keeping quarterback Sam Darnold or allowing him to leave in free agency in favor of their 2024 first-round pick, J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings chose the latter, turning the franchise over to McCarthy with hopes that he could lead them back to the playoffs.
Unfortunately, that was anything but the case in 2025, as McCarthy looked and played like a rookie in his first season on the field. To make matters worse, the Vikings had to watch Darnold lead the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl, and it’s fair to assume they are not feeling great about the decision they made last offseason. Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson spoke about the team losing Darnold and how he believes things would have gone differently in Minnesota with the Pro Bowl QB still around.
Analyst Rips Justin Jefferson Over Comments on Sam Darnold, J.J. McCarthy
When Jefferson was asked last week if the Vikings’ season would have been different had Darnold remained with the team, the wide receiver said, “I definitely felt like we would’ve done better. But it is what it is.”
While Jefferson is likely being honest, it was not the strongest endorsement of McCarthy following his first season. NFL analyst Skip Bayless had pointed criticism for Jefferson after the comments.
“It just hit me the wrong way,” Bayless said. “And I don’t think Justin Jefferson’s a bad guy. And I don’t think he was thinking about what he was saying, because it was thoughtless. It does his team no good right here, right now, going forward.
“It’s not gonna help J.J.’s confidence, which was shaky last year. It’s not gonna help the team’s confidence in J.J. And the truth was, to me, that was just classic diva wide receiver talk. Just predictable diva talk.”
“It’s not going to help J.J. McCarthy’s confidence. It’s not going to help the team’s confidence. That was just classic diva WR talk.”@RealSkipBayless rips Justin Jefferson for praising Sam Darnold and sneak dissing J.J. McCarthy. pic.twitter.com/uhccNfTBSH
— The Arena: Gridiron (@ArenaGridiron) February 2, 2026
Bayless also pointed out that Jefferson may be speaking out of frustration after a career-worst season. His numbers dipped across the board, and McCarthy certainly played a role in that decline.
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Vikings Have a Lot Invested in McCarthy
It would be difficult for the Vikings to move on from McCarthy after just one season, given how much they have invested in him. He was a top-10 pick who missed his entire rookie season because of injury. So even though 2025 was technically his second year, it was effectively his rookie season in terms of game experience.
That context should afford him some leeway this offseason, as he dealt with many of the typical growing pains seen from young quarterbacks around the league. Minnesota also has a strong coaching staff led by Kevin O’Connell, who should help maximize McCarthy’s development.
The 2026 season will be critical for McCarthy, as he must show clear improvement. If he delivers another underwhelming year, Minnesota could soon face some uncomfortable questions.
