#Vikings TE TJ Hockenson says JJ McCarthy’s throws remind him of Matt Stafford’s:
“I remember catching passes from Staff (Matt Stafford)… it zips on you, looks like it’s not coming, but it’s coming. JJ has the juice behind it where it kind of has that effect.”
🎥: @greenlight… pic.twitter.com/zHvJxmdopD— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) May 6, 2025
Ex-Vikings QB Sam Darnold Gets Bad News Ahead of 1st Year With Seahawks
The Minnesota Vikings got a Pro Bowl performance out of quarterback Sam Darnold last season, but whether he can sustain that level of play moving forward remains a serious question.
The Seattle Seahawks paid Darnold north of $100 million on a three-year contract in free agency to lure him away from Minnesota, which wasn’t going to put up anywhere near that kind of investment with second-year QB and 2024 No. 10 overall draft pick J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings.
However, the way the Seahawks set up the contract, the team can part ways with Darnold relatively painlessly after just one year. That Seattle spent a third-round pick on former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe at the end of April was the exact opposite of a vote of confidence in Darnold.
The team still has wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was the NFL’s top producer out of the slot last season, and acquired star wideout Cooper Kupp during the offseason. As such, Darnold will have some weapons to help him, but there isn’t a great deal of confidence from analysts around the league that the 27-year-old signal caller will retain his starting job beyond the 2025 campaign.
“Sam Darnold’s contract doesn’t leave Seattle exposed beyond 2025, so it’s safe to assume this is a one-year audition,” Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report wrote on Friday, May 9. “Based on what happened at the end of last season, there’s a good chance he fails.”
Sam Darnold Made Most of Single Season in Minnesota
GettyFormer Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.
Darnold earned his deal from Seattle, which includes $52.5 million guaranteed and a $37.5 million signing bonus, by leading Minnesota to a 14-3 regular season record last year and the top NFC wildcard playoff seed (No. 5 overall) after losing the NFC North Division battle to the Detroit Lions in the final week of the campaign.
The QB finished the year with career highs in passing yards (4,319) and touchdowns passes (35), per Pro Football Reference. He also threw just 12 interceptions.
That Darnold would win the starting job ahead of the 2024 campaign after the Vikings brought him in on just a one-year contract was far from a given. McCarthy entered training camp with more or less an equal claim on the QB1 spot until he suffered a knee injury in August. That injury required two surgeries to repair and kept McCarthy sidelined for the entirety of his rookie campaign.
J.J. McCarthy Has Gained Belief of Vikings Teammates Early in Offseason
GettyQuarterback J.J. McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings.
Now 22 years old, McCarthy enters training camp as the Vikings’ presumed starter.
Minnesota executed a trade with the Seahawks for Sam Howell, who is entering his fourth professional season in 2025 and is the favorite to win the backup QB job behind McCarthy.
McCarthy’s teammates have raved about him, both in terms of his physical talent and personality, after just a handful of offseason workouts together.
“A sick arm. I remember catching passes from [Matthew Stafford], and it was one of those balls where it just zips on ya,” tight end T.J. Hockenson said of McCarthy on the May 5 edition of the “Green Light with Chris Long” podcast. “It looks like it’s not coming, but it’s coming. And J.J.’s got the juice behind it where it kind of has that effect.”
“He’s got insane arm talent,” Hockenson continued. “And really the personality that he has goes really well [with out team], and I think he’s gonna have a long career.”
Related articles
Ben Johnson's Great Start With the Bears Doesn't Mean Much (Yet)
Washington icon hints Adam Peters isn’t done wheeling and dealing post-draft
Cowboys Insider Bombshell: Shocking Micah Parsons Update Reveals a Twist That Could Revolutionize the Franchise – Is a Bold Move on the Horizon?
Is The Bachelor's Joey's Indian Wells "Tennis in Paradise" Experience With Kelsey A Sign That He Puts Himself First? (I Think It's True, & There May Be Other Clues)
Thu Thao -
The Latest
Ex-Lions QB Matthew Stafford Predicted to Move On Earlier Than Anticipated
Sport
-7 giờ
At this point, it’s been years since Matthew Stafford has been the quarterback for the Detroit Lions, but it’s still interesting to keep up with his career. After all, Stafford was the team’s bona fide starter from 2009 to 2020, and even though he never took ...
Seattle Seahawks signing ball-hawking linebacker tryout from rookie minicamp
Uncategory
-7 giờ
Every year NFL teams bring in a few dozen tryout players to share the field during rookie minicamp with their draft picks and undrafted free agents. The Seattle Seahawks are no exception to the rule, and they had over 40 rookies participating at last ...
Jalen Milroe picks 3 specific words to describe Seahawks rookie TE Elijah Arroyo
Uncategory
-7 giờ
The Seattle Seahawks landed some special players in the 2025 NFL draft, especially the first two days. First of all, Grey Zabel gives them a big upgrade at guard for now - and a potential long-term starter at all five offensive line ...
Bears’ Luther Burden III gets murky update after injury scare during rookie minicamp
Uncategory
-7 giờ
The Chicago Bears are a team to pay attention to this upcoming season. Fresh off the 2025 NFL Draft, the Bears are hoping their new offensive weapons can help Caleb Williams develop into the franchise player of their dreams. Chicago drafted Michigan tight end Colston Loveland in the first ...
Bears Get Concerning News After Rookie Suffers Potential Injury
Uncategory
-7 giờ
The Chicago Bears might already have a problem developing with one of their promising new rookie draft picks after Saturday’s latest offseason practice. According to 670 The Score’s Chris Emma, Bears second-round wide receiver Luther Burden III caught a deep pass toward the end of ...
