With Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy getting reps in a new offensive system for both, were there any indications from [the offseason program] at who has acclimated more to the starting role?
— J. Pettit in Greenville, South Carolina
Shoutout to Greenville, South Carolina, and the Upstate. My wife and I got married in Greenville 17 years ago and spent the first couple of years of our marriage in nearby Spartanburg. Some of our favorite people are still there.
We know that Darnold was consistently taking reps with the No. 1s (although Head Coach Kevin O’Connell made sure to sprinkle in a few for McCarthy).
We also know that O’Connell closed the offseason program saying Darnold would open training camp as the starter. The coach and former QB also de-emphasized his players worrying about depth charts that won’t be released for quite some time.
When Kyle Rudolph was participating in a media interview before the Minnesota Vikings Foundation’s Golf Tournament last month, it came up that he had a different Week 1 starting quarterback in seven of his first eight seasons.
With so much turnover at the sport’s most important position, it’s kind of hard to believe the Vikings were competing for — or earning — playoff spots many times during that run.
Cousins provided quarterback continuity that frankly escaped the Vikings for the better part of that decade (and really for a considerable part of the organization’s history).
O’Connell and others know the value of having continuity at the position — and knew it long before 2023 when the team had to start four different QBs for the first time in franchise history.
Structure, offensive systems and talent around a quarterback can also be incredibly important.
Darnold looked comfortable in this system, and he’s excited about the skill players and offensive linemen who will be in the huddle.
O’Connell and Darnold can build on their prior experiences in the NFL, and McCarthy can learn from each as he develops and grows in this system. Everyone has a learning curve of some type, but Darnold and McCarthy can continue to learn together as camp progresses.
Both are highly competitive and want to make the most of the opportunities in front of them.
There will be plenty of reps to go around during training camp, and I’m sure there will be plenty of attention focused on the…
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