Insider Reveals Vikings’ Thoughts About Sam Darnold

The Minnesota Vikings can be patient with J.J. McCarthy, or so it seems.

Sam Darnold hasn’t found his footing in the league just yet, but he’s shown glimpses of significant improvement since he left the New York Jets.

While he struggled with the Carolina Panthers, he looked sharp in limited action under Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers.

Now, he’s expected to be the starter for Kevin O’Connell’s team, at least to start the season.

However, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him holding onto the job for the entire year, at least according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated (via The Purple Persuasion).

Talking on The Rich Eisen Show, Breer revealed that the Vikings hold a higher regard for Darnold than most people around the league.

They believe he has a legitimate chance to help them win games right away, adding that O’Connell pointed out that there will be a series of tiers and levels McCarthy must clear first before getting a chance to step on the field.

Having Darnold out there will allow them not to rush things with their prized rookie, and the Vikings believe Darnold wasn’t ‘raised properly’ in the NFL, similar to what happened with Geno Smith.

Perhaps, like his fellow former New York Jet, he’s also going to be a late bloomer, and that would also help explain why the Jets have struggled so much over the past couple of decades.