Analyst explains why Vikings should make bold Sam Darnold, J.J. McCarthy move

Whether or not the Minnesota Vikings should hold onto quarterback Sam Darnold this offseason, even though they picked J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall selection of the 2024 NFL Draft, has become a hot topic with the Darnold-led Vikings at 11-2. 

For a piece published Tuesday, ESPN's Ben Solak explained why Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah should at least explore making McCarthy available to other clubs before the opening night of the 2025 draft arrives.

"This is a rough upcoming quarterback class," Solak wrote about players entering the league via next year's draft. "McCarthy is coming off a major knee injury, of course, so I don't expect Minnesota would get the same draft pick back that it spent on him (No. 10 overall after trading up from No. 11). But the Vikings could easily get a first-rounder for a 22-year-old passer whom the league just scouted and loved one cycle ago."

Specifically, rumblings emerged this past spring claiming that the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots were high on McCarthy then. Both clubs ultimately took different signal-callers, and the Michigan product fell to pick No. 10 before the Vikings moved up to get him. 

Meanwhile, Pro Football Reference shows that Darnold began Tuesday ranked 15th in the NFL among qualified players with a 59.0 adjusted QBR, third with a 108.1 passer rating and sixth with 3,299 passing yards for the season. Over 13 games, he tossed 28 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. 

Solak acknowledged that "there is no reason for Adofo-Mensah to take the risk" that would come with giving up on McCarthy during the upcoming offseason. 

"If he trades McCarthy away and this decision goes poorly for any reason at all," Solak continued, "he'd be viewed as the man who made an unprecedented decision and paid the price. ...If he instead rides with McCarthy and lets Darnold walk, and that decision goes poorly for any reason at all, the media would largely hold him as a guy who made an understandable choice and got unlucky."

Others have pointed out that the Vikings could retain Darnold's rights for 2025 via the franchise tag, which would allow the club to replace him with McCarthy in 2026 (if not sooner). Fortunately, Adofo-Mensah and co. don't have to decide the club's long-term quarterback situation anytime soon.

Darnold and the Vikings will welcome the 4-9 Chicago Bears to U.S. Bank Stadium this Monday night.