After Sam Darnold signed with the Seattle Seahawks, expectations rose that the Minnesota Vikings would turn the franchise over to last year’s first-round draft pick, J.J. McCarthy, who missed the entire previous season due to a knee injury. However, McCarthy recently disclosed that the team has yet to inform him that he’ll be the starting quarterback next season. “They haven’t told me,” McCarthy stated during an appearance on Up & Adams on Tuesday morning. “I’m happy they didn’t because I try to earn it every single day. I never want that to be given to me. It’s such a privilege and opportunity to give me that chance, and I’m just gonna make the most of it every single day.”
To add to the complexity, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah revealed on Friday that the organization has “had a lot of conversations” with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who remains available on the market. “It’s a new thing to talk about a player at that caliber,” Adofo-Mensah said regarding Rodgers, according to ESPN. “And I’m always somebody who wants to learn and grow myself, so just being involved in those dialogues was really special.” Adofo-Mensah did not rule out the possibility of the Vikings ultimately choosing Rodgers this offseason, stating, “For me to sit here and say that anything’s 100 percent forever, that’s just not the job. We’re responding to scenarios and different information as it comes. So obviously, things can change, but right now we’re really happy with our [quarterback] room and we’re looking to upgrade it in different ways.”
It’s undoubtedly an intriguing situation. The Vikings invested a premium pick in McCarthy, but if they determine he isn’t ready for the starting role, Rodgers may well follow the same career path as Brett Favre.
