The Minnesota Vikings’ messaging about their quarterbacks has been confusing this month, but it has been much obvious in recent days.
Did they want to keep Sam Darnold? Maybe, but only for the correct price and terms (not the ones he got from Seattle).
Were they interested in free agency Aaron Rodgers, who is 41 years old? It was obviously discussed, but for about a week, it was difficult to determine how serious the situation was.
The story of what-ifs, however, has given way to a clear road forward: second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy is their guy, and he will be given every opportunity and resource to start Week 1 in 2025.
There are safeguards against that. A veteran will be acquired at some point, and Rodgers cannot be fully removed from our thoughts as long as he is unsigned. However, it is evident that the Vikings want their faith in McCarthy to be communicated to the public.
They are settling into their own strategy, which will require their decision-makers to be uncomfortable at quarterback in a way that has not occurred in the organization in a decade.
Veteran quarterbacks are nearly always safer, with higher levels and lower ceilings than unknown commodities like McCarthy.
The Vikings last committed to a young quarterback in the mid-2010s. They chose Teddy Bridgewater, gave him 12 starts as a rookie in 2014, then handed over the reins to him permanently in 2015.
In a different universe, Bridgewater (who is only 32 years old) could still be their starting right now. He went 11-5 for the division-winning Vikings in 2015, and there was considerable hope for a Year 3 surge before suffering a horrific knee injury just before the 2016 season.
Since then, it’s been a parade of veterans and the dependability they bring: Sam Bradford, who was quickly acquired after Bridgewater’s injury in 2016; Case Keenum, who filled in admirably after Bradford’s injury in 2017; Kirk Cousins for six seasons between 2018 and 23; and Darnold last year, after McCarthy’s preseason knee injury ended any chance of a competition.
It’s a terrific method to stay relevant over time; the Vikings made the playoffs in four of those nine seasons and never won fewer than seven games.
However, with the present NFL organization, it is difficult to achieve elite status. Super Bowl contenders typically have an experienced quarterback who is one of the three to five greatest in the game, or a starting-caliber rookie quarterback on a low-cost contract who allows for the development of a strong all-around roster.
The Vikings have had neither since Bridgewater’s injury. They don’t know if they’ll have it by 2025 because it’s hard to forecast McCarthy’s performance when the lights go on.
However, if the tradeoff is giving up the assurance of being good in exchange for the possibility of being great, the risk is always worthwhile.
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