INDIANAPOLIS — Vikings head trainer Kevin O’Connell speaks glowingly of 2024 first-round pick out JJ McCarthy and refused to cover the satisfaction he feels recalling Sam Darnold’s first yr in Minnesota’s offensive gadget.
Darnold, signed to a one-year, $10 million deal to exchange Kirk Cousins virtually a yr in the past, can grow to be a unfastened agent yet again after successful 14 video games and main the Vikings to the playoffs.
McCarthy, the tenth total pick out in final yr’s draft, spent the season improving from knee surgical operation and is ready to take part absolutely within the offseason program, O’Connell mentioned Tuesday on the NFL Scouting Mix.
In what capability both quarterback enters the 2025 season is still decided.
“I have had nice discussion with Sam from the tip of the season to very, very just lately,” O’Connell mentioned Tuesday afternoon on the NFL Scouting Mix.
“This procedure goes to play out each non permanent and long-term for the Minnesota Vikings. And Sam is able the place the NFL thinks he can play quarterback at a top stage. That is a in point of fact excellent factor, and I think very proud to be part of serving to him get so far. We will see the place it is going from right here.”
Common supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is aware of quarterback is once more the “core of our offseason.” He mentioned the Vikings need to bear in mind of a holistic solution to comparing Darnold, 27, in the course of the prism of what he achieved in his debut season with the franchise. The media and fan focal point has focused in large part at the ultimate two video games, losses to the Detroit Lions and the wild-card defeat in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams.
“Now not looking to be overweighted by means of the ones 8 quarters but additionally no longer underweighting the ones final two video games,” Adofo-Mensah mentioned. “He performed a large number of excellent soccer for us in Yr 1 of the gadget, so you’ll be able to be expecting extra later. We are excited (for) the potential of Sam, no matter that finally ends up being. It is a difficult workout.”
McCarthy’s construction happened off-camera however his presence and the funding made by means of the franchise stands as some comfortable of leverage will have to the Vikings try to play it in talks with Darnold and different quarterbacks. When the Vikings misplaced Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons in March 2024, there wasn’t a lot of an insurance plans in position. The Vikings even have shut tabs on former first-round pick out Daniel Jones. He ended the season getting up to the mark with Minnesota’s gadget and magnificence of training quarterbacks after being launched by means of the Giants in November.
O’Connell made transparent he felt Darnold’s 35-TD season with greater than 4,300 passing yards proved he is in a position to QB1 standing — someplace.
McCarthy used VR coaching to organize for each and every recreation, most commonly off the grass, in a facsimile of practices, offensive conferences, place conferences and the closely-held “purple marker assembly” one-on-one with O’Connell. It is a check of the sport plan, performs and scenarios the previous NFL quarterback-turned-coach makes use of to pare down his play-call sheet the day sooner than each and every recreation.
“He went in the course of the procedure that simulated what Darnold used to be going via,” O’Connell mentioned.
Adofo-Mensah mentioned Vikings possession has a degree of involvement within the pending QB determination to some degree, however “does an ideal activity of letting us do our jobs.”
“It is a industry, and so our activity is to give our common sense to homeowners,” he mentioned.
–Jeff Reynolds, Box Stage Media
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