(Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
With the Minnesota Vikings letting veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins leave in NFL free agency, where he ultimately signed with the Atlanta Falcons, a new era has officially begun for the team, as they have brought in Sam Darnold and rookie J.J. McCarthy to shoulder the load under center moving forward.
Although Darnold was initially thought to be the Week 1 starter, the team drafting McCarthy with their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft seemed to change things a bit or at least make it a competition for the starting job in training camp.
There’s no doubt that McCarthy is the future of the quarterback position in Minnesota, but in the meantime, it could be Darnold’s job to lose, as it might be the safer approach heading into the 2024 campaign.
According to Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, Darnold will be the starter to begin training camp, meaning McCarthy will have his work cut out for him to be the Week 1 starter, per ProFootballTalk.
“I would say Sam would be the guy I would look to based on the spring he’s had and, really, where he’s at in his career and his quarterback journey,” O’Connell said.
Kevin O’Connell: Sam Darnold is No. 1 QB heading into camp. https://t.co/hkQI8hFLgm
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) June 12, 2024
After flaming out with the New York Jets a few years ago, Darnold has bounced around the league over the last couple of seasons, as he’s had stints with the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers.
Fortunately for the former first-round pick and USC star, Darnold has a chance to resurrect his career in Minnesota, as he’ll be armed with some potent weapons on offense, namely superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
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