The Minnesota Vikings will likely take a step back in 2024 due to moving on from Kirk Cousins and selecting J.J. McCarthy at 10th overall. It's now about taking a step forward and making a run in 2025 with McCarthy at the helm.
In the meantime, the Vikings brought in Sam Darnold to help while McCarthy develops. That leaves the 2024 season as not necessarily a throwaway year, but one that isn't going to be predicated on wins and losses. However, that doesn't mean that the Vikings can't be good.
One analyst who isn't very high on the Vikings chances, more specifically the quarterback room, is Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus. He has the Vikings quarterback room 31st in the NFL for 2024 and grouped them, not with the next generation, but the holdovers.
I don’t think McCarthy will be the starting quarterback right out of the gate, but a combination of Darnold and McCarthy for the 2024 season seems likely. Darnold has never finished a season with a passing grade above 67.0, but his past two were his highest. I am surprisingly excited to see Darnold get a shot as a starter this year, as he finished his final year in Carolina with a 6.7% big-time throw rate and a 2.9% turnover-worthy play rate in six games as a starter.
The only team behind the Vikings is the Denver Broncos, which is completely fair. Jarrett Stidham and Bo Nix is an objectively poor quarterback room. However, the situation for both Darnold and McCarthy should at minimum bump them up at least a few spots. Disappointing to see them that low when the offense is in a great spot outside of quarterback.
