The J.J. McCarthy experiment has not gone as the Vikings hoped.
Minnesota traded up one spot in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft to take the national championship-winning quarterback out of Michigan with the No. 10 pick. He suffered a pretty significant setback early in his pro career, suffering a torn meniscus that cost him his entire rookie season. Veteran Sam Darnold thrived in his stead, leading the Vikings to a 14–3 record. Even so, the franchise remained committed to McCarthy, letting Darnold walk in free agency (he is now 13–3 in his first year with the Seahawks and could earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed on Saturday night).
