The Minnesota Vikings didn't have their starting quarterback for the last nine-plus games and still ended up with the 10th-ranked offense in 2023. Should be in a good spot with the entire unit returning sans starting quarterback and K.J. Osborn, right?
Not according to Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine, who ranked them 25th in the league going into the 2024 season.
The Minnesota Vikings hit the reset button at quarterback this offseason which means things could get worse before they get better. Long term, J.J. McCarthy is a good fit for the Vikings. He appears to have the arm, processing and intangibles to become a good NFL starter. But there's bound to be a learning curve. He's coming from a run-heavy offense at Michigan that didn't ask him to do too much.
The good news for him is that Kevin O'Connell is a good offensive mind who will bring him along appropriately. That might mean the Vikings either go with Sam Darnold or are somewhat limited in the early going. Of course, having Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addision and T.J. Hockenson is going to make it easier to adjust as well
In essence, Ballentine is putting the onus on the ranking on Sam Darnold being the likely starting quarterback and a quote from general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is a major reason why he has them that low.
"We're not going to rush [McCarthy's] development," Adofo-Mensah said. "We're just going to do what's best for the Vikings in the short and long term."
Is that a fair ranking? Well, that is in the eye of the beholder. For my money, it's disrespectful considering how well the offense operated last year without a capable running back and no quarterback. What makes it worse is they are behind the likes of the Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals.
Yes, Darnold isn't exactly the best player at the position. However, the lack of faith in O'Connell is absurd.
