The Minnesota Vikings’ 2024 season was one of the biggest surprises in the NFL last year. Following Kirk Cousins’ departure, Minnesota finished with a shocking 14-3 record, tying the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles for the third-most wins in the regular season.
Sam Darnold, who seemed destined to become a journeyman, stepped up and led the Vikings to their best regular season in years while also helping his head coach, Kevin O’Connell, win the NFL Coach of the Year. Despite the regular-season success, Minnesota’s playoff aspirations came crashing down with a 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round.
Now, the franchise faces a crucial decision at quarterback: Is Darnold the long-term answer, or should they turn to rookie J.J. McCarthy? One NFL analyst believes they should let Darnold enter free agency and sign a new quarterback while building McCarthy for the future.
Vikings Predicted To Replace Sam Darnold With Matthew Stafford
Darnold’s tenure with the Vikings was a successful one — for the most part. He recorded career-best numbers, showed a ton of consistency, and had a knack for big wins. He also benefited from having the best roster around him, including arguably the game’s best wideout in Justin Jefferson.
Darnold was so successful and beloved by his teammates that after a dominant Week 17 performance that resulted in a win against division rival Green Bay, he was showered with applause and love by his teammates.
However, after two disastrous performances in the season’s biggest games — including a staggering nine sacks in the Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams — serious doubts have emerged about whether the Vikings should bring him back.
The Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer suggests that the Vikings shouldn’t bring Darnold back and instead sign a new quarterback, which he boldly predicts would be the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford.
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“The Vikings can’t be ruled out for a QB upgrade, and getting Stafford in Kevin O’Connell’s Sean McVay-like system would give them a higher playoff ceiling than they had with pending free agent Sam Darnold.
“Stafford could also allow the cap-rich Vikings to keep stashing first-rounder J.J. McCarthy, essentially giving him another ‘redshirt season’ before he takes over for Stafford in a year or two.”
However, while Darnold had one of the seasons of his career last year, Stafford had the worst, and the only positive in his game was an impressive performance in the playoffs.
According to PFSN’s QB+ metric, Darnold was the 12th-best quarterback this past season with a 79.0 (B) grade. Meanwhile, Stafford was the 22nd-ranked quarterback with a 72.2 (C-) grade.
It was Stafford’s second-worst full-season QB+ since 2019, and both of those bottom two have come in the last three years, raising question marks about whether his career is now trailing off to a point where he might be done.
He still had a passer rating of 93.7 with 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 16 games. If Stafford can get his act together in 2025, he could serve as the perfect veteran bridge for McCarthy.
Justin Jefferson Weighs In On Vikings’ QB Decision
Jefferson was recently asked about Minnesota’s quarterback situation and while he made it clear that he’s not involved in the decision-making process, he’s eager to see how it unfolds.
“Luckily, that ain’t my decision. I’m sitting back, and I’m waiting for all of these decisions to be made,” Jefferson told Athlon Sports’ Doug Farrar. “I’m really just showing up and being myself and making the plays that I make. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what we’re going to do with Sam, if we’re going to bring him back.
“Of course, J.J. is going to have his opportunity to make some plays and to see if he’s going to be the starter. I’m not sure exactly what we’re going to do with Sam and the moves that we’re going to make, but I’m always confident in myself. It don’t matter who’s going to be throwing the ball. I’m going to make a play for sure.”
Though Jefferson has stayed neutral on the quarterback debate, he hasn’t been shy about praising McCarthy. The young quarterback has impressed in limited reps, and Jefferson has taken notice, recently raving about their chemistry.
“I definitely can say he’s a sponge, for sure,” Jefferson told Athlon Sports. “He’s a guy that wants to learn. He’s a guy that wants to be a top-tier quarterback in this league.
“So, our lockers are really right next to each other. So, every single day we’re chopping it up. We’re talking not only about football, but just life in general [and] what’s going on. And just having that connection with him before he even steps on the field is something that’s special. So, I’m excited to see what he does.”
If McCarthy wins the starting job, having the trust of the team’s biggest star could go a long way in his development. While McCarthy has yet to make his NFL debut, Jefferson is looking forward to seeing what he can bring to the table.
“He was doing great before he had got injured,” Jefferson added. “So, I’m excited to see what we’re going to do, who we’re going to bring back, and to see who’s going to be our starter for next year.”