The Minnesota Vikings had excessive expectations heading into this season after developing one win in need of incomes the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed in 2024. The quarterback reins have been handed over to 2024 tenth general choose J.J. McCarthy, who was misplaced for his rookie yr after tearing the meniscus in his proper knee throughout the preseason opener. A spending spree occurred in free company the place upgrading the offensive line (offensive guard Will Fries and middle Ryan Kelly) and inside of the defensive position (Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave) have been the priorities.
Regardless of McCarthy’s lack of sport expertise, he solely took 12 offensive snaps within the 2025 preseason. Against this 2024’s twelfth general choose, Bo Nix, who was on the sphere for 98.73% of the Denver Broncos‘ offensive performs in 2024, was beneath middle for 40 preseason snaps.
The 2025 season has been disappointing for a wide range of causes. An enormous difficulty is the drop-off at quarterback from Sam Darnold, who earned Professional Bowl honors final season. Exterior of manufacturing three fourth-quarter touchdowns throughout a 27-24 comeback win over the Chicago Bears within the regular-season opener, McCarthy struggled within the two video games he performed earlier than struggling a excessive proper ankle sprain. Within the different seven quarters McCarthy has performed this season, he has accomplished 55% of his passes for 214 yards whereas committing 4 turnovers and taking 9 sacks.
Carson Wentz, who was signed late within the preseason to again up McCarthy after Sam Howell was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, was inconsistent whereas going 2-3 in 5 begins. McCarthy is ready to return to the lineup for Week 9’s sport versus the Detroit Lions with Wentz happening injured reserve due to a season-ending harm to his left (non-throwing) shoulder. McCarthy has been the emergency quarterback for Minnesota’s final two video games. In an effort to be the emergency quarterback, McCarthy needed to be medically cleared to play. This prompted some hypothesis that the Vikings felt Wentz was the quarterback finest geared up to win video games proper now.
The dedication to McCarthy value the Vikings different viable choices at quarterback: Darnold, Daniel Jones and Aaron Rodgers. The Vikings are in final place within the NFC North with a 3-4 report. The 4 losses are greater than the Vikings had final season going 14-3.
It is conceivable that the Vikings could be 5-2 after seven video games for the second straight season with higher quarterback play. One-score video games have been misplaced to the Pittsburgh Steelers (24-21) and the Eagles (28-22).
The Darnold choice
Darnold appeared like a lock to return to Minnesota earlier than his closing assertion within the remaining two video games final season. He performed his worst soccer when the stakes have been highest. Darnold was terrible within the Week 18 defeat to the Lions when a wild card bye and the NFC North title have been on the road and within the season-ending wild card playoff sport loss to the Los Angeles Rams. His completion proportion was 53.1% whereas throwing for 411 yards with one landing and one interception for a 66.4 passer ranking. Darnold took 11 sacks within the two video games, together with a playoff-record-tying 9 sacks versus the Rams.
Nonetheless, the Vikings explored re-signing Darnold. He finally went to the Seattle Seahawks in free company. The Seahawks signed Darnold to a team-friendly three-year, $100.5 million contract, averaging $33.5 million per yr, price a most of $115.5 million by means of incentives.
The deal was structured to provide the Seahawks a small window to get out of the deal after this season if Darnold did not play nicely. Out of the $27.5 million Darnold is scheduled to make in 2026, the $17.5 million that is assured for harm turns into absolutely assured 5 days after Tremendous Bowl LX on Feb. 13. The Seahawks would have $25.6 million in useless cash, a wage cap cost for a participant not on a workforce’s roster, whereas Darnold can have gotten $37.5 million for one yr by Seattle parting methods with him in 2026.
A fast exit is not a consideration for the Seahawks. Darnold is demonstrating that his 2024 Professional Bowl season wasn’t a fluke. He’s finishing 68.2% of his passes (131 of 192 makes an attempt) for 1,754 yards with 12 touchdowns and 4 interceptions to put up a 109.2 passer ranking in seven video games. Darnold’s 9.1 yards per move try leads the NFL. He ranks seventh within the league in passer ranking.
The Seahawks are sitting atop the NFC West together with the Rams at 5-2 after lacking the playoffs final season. The one damaging for Darnold is the Seahawks is perhaps undefeated with out his late-game turnovers in Week 1 and Week 5 losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, respectively.
Honest or not, J.J. McCarthy finds himself in do-or-die second as the way forward for the Vikings
Tyler Sullivan
Indiana Jones
The Vikings had a reasonably good sense of Jones’ capabilities as a result of he spent the ultimate six weeks of the 2024 common season on their apply squad after the New York Giants granted his request to be launched. Jones was signed to the 53-man roster to again up Darnold throughout the playoffs.
An unwillingness to guarantee Jones that there could be an open competitors at quarterback like he had with Anthony Richardson this preseason pushed him to the Indianapolis Colts. He signed a one-year, $14 million contract price as much as $17.7 million with incentives in free company.
Jones is having a stunning profession resurrection with the Colts. He’s an MVP candidate. Jones has thrown for two,062 yards with 13 touchdowns and two interceptions whereas connecting on 71.2% of his passes (173 of 243 makes an attempt) for a 109.5 passer ranking in eight video games. He ranks third, fourth and fifth within the NFL, respectively, in completion proportion, passing yards and passer ranking. The Colts are tops in scoring at 33.8 factors per sport and have the NFL’s finest report at 7-1.
Not aligned with Aaron
The Vikings have been Aaron Rodgers’ most well-liked vacation spot to play a twenty first NFL season. Sadly for Rodgers, coming to Minnesota was extra interesting to him than the Vikings. He signed a one-year, $13.65 million contract price a most of $19.5 million by means of incentives with the Steelers in June.
Rodgers is demonstrating there’s nonetheless some gasoline left within the tank, though he turns 42 in December. He has handed for 1,489 yards with 16 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in seven video games. Rodgers is finishing 68.3% of his throws (142 of 208 move makes an attempt) and has a 104.4 passer ranking. His 16 landing passes are tied for the NFL’s third most. Rodgers additionally has the league’s eighth finest passer ranking. The Steelers, who’re main the AFC North, reportedly would really like Rodgers to return for 2026.
Monday morning QB
The composition of the roster would seemingly be totally different with any of the opposite three quarterbacks. Darnold’s present contract has a $13.4 million 2025 wage cap quantity due to the inclusion of two dummy/voiding contract years in 2028 and 2029 that enable for his $32 million signing bonus to be prorated at $6.4 million yearly for 5 years.
The Vikings are snug utilizing voiding years in contracts. Assuming a comparable contract structured in the same method for Darnold from the Vikings, the 2025 cap distinction with Wentz’s deal could be within the $12 million neighborhood.
Retaining consistent with the $15.049 million of 2025 cap house the Vikings presently have, in response to NFLPA knowledge, retaining Darnold would have prevented the signing of an offensive lineman (Fries or Kelly) and an inside defensive lineman (Allen or Hargrave). Fries and Kelly have 2025 cap numbers of $5.67 million and $5,569,559, respectively. Allen’s and Hargrave’s respective 2025 cap hits are $6,421,666 and $8,017,206.
The one-year, $10 million deal Darnold signed to hitch the Vikings final yr had 2025 by means of 2028 voiding contract years to decrease his 2024 cap quantity to $5 million. The Vikings have $5 million in 2025 cap prices associated to these years as a result of Darnold received a $6.25 million signing bonus.
Presumably, the Vikings would have equally inserted 4 dummy contract years into any one-year deal Jones or Rodgers signed. The 2025 cap hit seemingly would not have been greater than $7.5 million. The web cap improve from Wentz would have been within the $6 million vary. In an effort to keep the integrity of Minnesota’s present wage cap state of affairs, one of many 4 linemen would not have been signed.
Within the quick time period, the Vikings in all probability would have been higher off with one of many three veteran quarterbacks on the roster this season. Signing Jones or Rodgers to a one-year deal would have made extra sense financially and from a wage cap perspective than Darnold. The veterans persevering with to play nicely with out McCarthy constantly displaying a few of the potential that made him a prime 10 choose over the remainder of the season will convey extra consideration and scrutiny to Minnesota’s quarterback selections.
