The Minnesota Vikings were such big believers in second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy that they let 4,000-yard, 35-touchdown quarterback Sam Darnold walk in free agency back in March so they could hand the keys to the offense over to the QB they traded up to get in the 2024 draft.
But so far, the return on investment in McCarthy has been disappointing, to say the least.
In six games, McCarthy has thrown for fewer yards (1,216 to 929) with more interceptions (10 to 5), and a significantly lower completion percentage (65.1 to 54.1) than backup Carons Wentz did in five games.
McCarthy has also thrown an interception in six straight games (the longest streak in the NFL), and Minesota is averaging just 247.5 yards per game when he starts — the second-worst number in the league ahead of the 1-10 Tennessee Titans — leading The Athletic’s Dianna Russini to ask what everyone is thinking.
“I think the question that we got to start asking — and this is going to get a headline — is J.J. McCarthy going to be a Minnesota Viking quarterback next season?” Russini questioned on the “Hoge and Jahns” podcast last week.
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And now, it seems the Vikings themselves may have buyer’s remorse when it comes to McCarthy.
Several recent reports indicate that discussions have been held about bringing in an experienced veteran next season to start and give McCarthy another year to sit, learn the offense, and develop while not under duress every week.
But as Russini pointed out on Wednesday, there’s starting to be more questions than answers when it comes to McCarthy’s future in Minnesota.
“I’ve been told there were some concerns about how another year sitting on the bench would affect [McCarthy],” Russini wrote. “And would it even help? Every question has a cousin, and suddenly they’re multiplying. Can a raw but talented quarterback grow fast enough to match a team built to win yesterday?
“… Right now, the question ringing through the building and across the league is impossible to ignore: “Why did you ever let Sam Darnold go?”
The unfortunate reality is the Vikings are built to win now, and they don’t have the luxury of time to wait for McCarthy to figure it out.
If another quarterback is brought in, it’s possible it could spell the end of McCarthy’s Vikings tenure after just two years.
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