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The Minnesota Vikings have addressed multiple issues in the offseason, potentially turning the weak spots that led to their demise at the end of the 2024 season into potential strengths.
They picked up a pair of offensive linemen in Will Fries and Ryan Kelly from the Indianapolis Colts to bolster their offensive line and they drafted Ohio State OG Donovan Jackson in the first round to completely remake the interior section of that unit.
They also picked up defensive linemen Jonathan Allen from the Washington Commanders and Javon Hargrave from the San Francisco 49ers to provide defensive coordinator Brian Flores with a front four that has more bite than last year’s unit.
When the Vikings go through their minicamps and OTAs, the team looks quite secure in all areas – with the exception of the most important position on the field. The Vikings will be completely unproven at quarterback.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell is the game’s premier quarterback whisperer. He played the position as a college player and in the NFL, and he has had success as a coach with every quarterback he has tutored.
He is fully confident that when J.J. McCarthy starts the season as the team’s QB1, he will be ready to put together an excellent season as a first-year leader. However, McCarthy is not a proven commodity.
He was a dynamic college performer at Michigan and led the Wolverines to the national championship at the conclusion of the 2023 season.
The Vikings drafted him with the No. 10 pick last year and he was making excellent progress throughout the offseason and into the summer until he tore his meniscus in the team’s first preseason game. His season ended at that point and O’Connell turned to veteran Sam Darnold to lead Minnesota.
The result was a 14-3 regular season, but even though Darnold had a brilliant year, it did not change the Vikings’ long-term plans. McCarthy was drafted to become the team’s starting quarterback and there was no reason to delay his ascension. Darnold was allowed to leave as he signed with the Seahawks in free agency.
McCarthy believes his time has come
The young quarterback has no doubt that he is ready to handle Minnesota’sstarting quarterback responsibilities.
“I know I’m ready to start,” McCarthy said. “All the work I’ve put in, just the confidence in my skills and abilities, and just being able to do my job and simplify things to the best of my ability every single day. And just take it one day at a time, one play at a time. I have a tremendous coaching staff, a tremendous group of guys around me that I can lean on, and they can lean on me.”
That’s just what O’Connell and the coaching staff need to hear, but the Vikings had to find a veteran quarterback to serve as his backup. If McCarthy has any more injury issues or struggles in his initial season, the Vikings need a veteran quarterback to perform at a high level.
The Vikings have turned to Sam Howell, acquired from the Seattle Seahawks. Howell has three years of NFL experience, including two with the Commanders in addition to the 2024 season with the Seahawks. Howell has passed for 4,139 yards, 22 touchdowns and 23 interceptions while completing 62.6 percent of his passes. He also has rushed for 300 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
While Howell has some experience, he is far from a proven commodity. However, O’Connell clearly likes what he has seen to this point. Additionally, general manager Kwesi Adofo Mensah has to love that Howell comes with a $1.1 million salary, a veritable bargain among NFL signal callers.
If the Vikings have to turn to Howell, O’Connell believes he can turn his new backup into a competent leader. He certainly did that with Darnold last year, and nobody thought that was possible at this time last year.
He helped turn Matthew Stafford into a Super Bowl-winning quarterback with the Los Angeles Rams and he got the best out of Kirk Cousins in 2022 and ’23.
The Vikings clearly believe in O’Connell’s ability to turn any signal caller with decent physical ability into a winning NFL quarterback. It is a gamble the Vikings can’t afford to lose.
