There have been no guarantees made by the Vikings as far as who will start at quarterback next season.
That was perhaps the biggest takeaway last week when general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke to reporters at TCO Performance Center. If young quarterback J.J. McCarthy ends up with the starting job next season, it will be because he won a competition during training camp.
That’s the only certainty for the Vikings at the moment.
It’s hard not to think about what could’ve been when considering the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, and Los Angeles Rams are still alive in the NFL playoffs, and thus, still in contention for the Super Bowl.
You can’t help but notice that the Vikings have some sort of connection to each of the quarterbacks that have led the charge for their respective teams in the pursuit of the Lombardi Trophy.
Here’s a deep dive into those connections.
The quarterback the Vikings passed on
In an alternate universe maybe the Vikings select Oregon quarterback Bo Nix when they are on the clock in the 2024 NFL Draft instead of trading up for McCarthy. They ultimately decided to pass on somebody many considered to have a high floor with hopes of hitting on somebody who theoretically had a high ceiling.
After the Vikings traded up to take McCarthy with the No. 10 pick, the Broncos took Nix with the No. 12 pick. As a result, both players have been connected at the hip ever since, and McCarthy has severely lagged behind Nix in terms of accomplishments in the early stages.
To add to the drama, Broncos head coach Sean Payton indicated at the time that he might have baited the Vikings into moving up.
Though the Broncos will be forced to start backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham in the AFC Championship Game due to Nix suffering a broken ankle, it’s safe to say they feel good about how the 2024 NFL Draft played out for them.
The quarterback the Vikings wanted
It’s no secret that the Vikings were enamored by North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye in the lead up to the 2024 NFL Draft.
It’s been reported by NFL insider Albert Breer that the Vikings made an aggressive offer early in the 2024 NFL Draft with hopes of moving up to the No. 3 pick so they could take Maye. They reportedly offered the Patriots the No. 11 pick and the No. 23 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, as well as a first round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
It wasn’t enough as the Patriots had already decided Maye was the guy for them. They stood pat and made a selection that has worked out better than they could’ve ever imagined. Not only did Maye put himself at the forefront of the MVP discussions this season, he currently has the Patriots preparing for the AFC Championship Game.
The quarterback the Vikings had on the roster
Whether the Vikings made the right decision moving on from veteran quarterback Sam Darnold has been litigated countless times over the past few months.
It hasn’t been the fact that McCarthy has struggled to adapt to the highest level. It’s also been the fact that Darnold has picked up right where he left off.
Though many assumed that Darnold would fall off a cliff after leaving the Vikings, he has completely flipped that narrative on its head, proving to be a godsend for the Seahawks.
As good as the defense has been for the Seahawks this season, Darnold is among the biggest reasons they are currently in the NFC Championship Game. He’s been surgical while leading an offense that has more than held up its end of the bargain.
There’s no doubt the Vikings regretting letting Darnold walk out the door. The gravity of the mistake will be determined over the next few weeks if Darnold goes on to win the Super Bowl.
The quarterback the Vikings know better than most
There’s a chance O’Connell wouldn’t be in his current role with the Vikings if it wasn’t for future Hall of Fame quarterback Matthew Stafford finally realizing his potential with the Rams. The magical run the Rams went on in 2022 that ended with them winning the Super Bowl helped O’Connell get hired by the Vikings.
The connection to Stafford isn’t as blatant because the Vikings never had an opportunity to roster him. That said, Stafford is somebody with whom the Vikings are familiar, especially considering they played him countless times during his career with the Lions.
To say Stafford has taken his game to a different level since being traded to the Rams would be an understatement. He won a Super Bowl after being acquired in the blockbuster deal. He also is a frontrunner in MVP discussions this season.
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