Sam Darnold is the Vikings’ No. 1 guy heading into training camp this summer, and nobody can knock him off his game.
At least not yet.
Minnesota added two quarterbacks to its arsenal this offseason, signing Darnold in March before drafting the Michigan Wolverines national champion J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 pick.
The idea, going intro training camp with two strong arms, was to create a “competitive situation,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters Wednesday.
“We haven’t had to put out a depth chart or anything like that,” O’Connell said, according to ESPN, “but yeah, I would say Sam would be the guy I would look to based upon the spring he’s had, and really where he’s at in his career and his quarterback journey, and what he’s been able to do coming in and [hitting] the ground running and taking advantage of a competitive situation.”
If the training camp pecking order holds, Darnold would be the go-to guy in the Vikings’ season opener against the Giants on Sept. 8.
McCarthy has been throwing behind Darnold and veteran backup Nick Mullens.
Jaren Hall, a 2023 fifth-round pick, is also in the mix.
In six seasons, Darnold, the ex-Jets first-round pick, has 56 career starts while playing for three teams.
In that time, he has 12,064 passing yards, 63 touchdowns and 56 interceptions.
O’Connell told “Mad Dog Sports Radio” on Tuesday that Darnold has “had a heck of a quarterback journey. I think he’s learned a lot along the way and I’m really excited about the time in his career in which we’re getting him in our building.”
Although the fans might want to see McCarthy start in Week 1, that might not be the case.
O’Connell said the Michigan product would have to really impress and showcase his talents in the coming months if he wants to see change.
Instead, the head coach said he’s focused on a broader plan with McCarthy.
“We do have a plan for J.J. — a long-term plan,” O’Connell told “The Rich Eisen Show.
“We see him as our quarterback of the future, and when that ultimately starts, with him taking game reps under center, will really be about that process of getting there and demonstrating that he’s got total comfort in the system.”
