The Minnesota Vikings haven't ruled out starting either J.J. McCarthy or Sam Darnold under center next season, but the team has already made up its mind on who its franchise quarterback will be in this era of Vikings football.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported on SportsCenter over the weekend that McCarthy will be the guy moving forward. The only question is precisely when he will elevate to that role.
"Minnesota's stance seems to be they're not going to mortgage the future for Sam Darnold. If he's getting major bank with another team somewhere else, they probably won't mortgage their future in that regard, but they're certainly open to having him back. They loved having him," Fowler reported on Feb. 21. "What was made clear to me, though, is J.J. McCarthy is the franchise quarterback at some point -- whether that's six months from now, 12 months, 18 months. They have not made that firm determination yet, but he will be the guy. So whoever steps in this year is essentially a bridge quarterback."
#Vikings weigh Sam Darnold free agency, #Rams and Matthew Stafford outlook and more from @SportsCenterpic.twitter.com/rslpgM3U0A
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 22, 2025
As valuable as it might be for Darnold to remain in Minnesota with the likes of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and head coach Kevin O'Connell, Darnold would be sacrificing loads of free-agent leverage that's likely to render him loads of cash over a three- or four-year deal just to sign on as a "bridge quarterback" for the Vikings.
Fowler added that his sources around the league don't expect Minnesota to use the franchise tag to keep Darnold, as that will cost more than $40 million in 2025 and could hamstring the team's ability to build out the roster if Darnold actually ends up signing the tag.
The reason to franchise Darnold would more likely be to create the opportunity to trade him rather than allowing him to walk for nothing following a career year, but that's a sizable risk if the Vikings don't have a buyer laying in wait and a deal agreed to before making the move.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell projected that Darnold will sign a contract worth an annual average of $46 million that will include around $90 million guaranteed if he hits free agency. That, combined with Fowler's report that McCarthy will be the franchise QB moving forward, all but settles the discussion of Darnold returning to Minnesota next season.
