During the NFL offseason, the Minnesota Vikings faced a very difficult decision. Sam Darnold entered free agency and the Vikings had to decide whether they would be aggressive to re-sign him or move forward with second-year signal caller J.J. McCarthy as their starter.
While the decision was difficult, Minnesota opted to give McCarthy the keys to the franchise. Darnold quickly received a lucrative three-year, $100.5 million contract to become the new franchise quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks.
Now, the Vikings might wish that they had kept Darnold in town. McCarthy has struggled quite a bit in his first year as a starting NFL quarterback and Minnesota sits at just 4-7 on the season.
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In Week 13 NFL action, the Vikings are set to hit the road to face Darnold and the Seahawks. For Justin Jefferson, it’s a tough reminder about the success that he had with Darnold last season.
Jefferson racked up 103 catches for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024 with Darnold as his quarterback. So far this season, his numbers sit at just 60 receptions for 795 yards and two scores.
Ahead of this week’s matchup, Jefferson spoke out with some strong words about his former quarterback.
“He’s definitely balling,” Jefferson said. “It’s hard to miss it when the number one receiver is at the top in the NFL. He’s been killing it. Some people might mention the bad games he’s had, but overall, he’s leading his teams to victories. It will be tough to win in their home environment. We need to lock in, execute our plays on all three phases, and come out with the win.”
Darnold has played in 11 games this season with Seattle. He has thrown for 2,785 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, while completing 69.5 percent of his passes.
McCarthy, on the other hand, has completed just 54.1 percent of his pass attempts for 929 yards, six touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
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It will be interesting to see what the future has in store for Minnesota at the quarterback position. McCarthy is still just 22 years old and could be the future for the Vikings. Or, the team could look to bring in another quarterback during the offseason.
Regardless of what Minnesota chooses to do, the offense needs to be better. Jefferson needs more help.
Fans have a hard time thinking that Darnold wouldn’t have had the Vikings in much better shape had the team re-signed him. This week, Jefferson and Darnold will lead their respective teams against each other, but the memories of a special offense in 2024 are still very fresh.
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