Allen Park — The Detroit Lions weren’t the only team in the NFC North to experience frustrating regression a year ago.
After winning 14 games in 2024, the Minnesota Vikings made the difficult decision to let resurgent quarterback Sam Darnold walk in free agency, aiming to turn the keys over to J.J. McCarthy, the franchise’s first-round pick a year earlier.
Given coach Kevin O'Connell’s reputation as a QB whisperer, pulling the trigger on McCarthy after the former Michigan standout had missed his rookie campaign due to injury was an understandable play.
However, the move backfired spectacularly. McCarthy battled injury and was wildy ineffective when healthy, wasting another strong performance from the team’s defense.
Despite the offensive woes, the Vikings still managed to win its final five games to finish above .500, but it wasn’t enough to return to the postseason. Darnold, meanwhile, signed with Seattle where he helped steer the franchise to a Super Bowl championship.
McCarthy’s performance was bad enough that it heavily factored into general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s dismissal in January. It also left the Vikings seeking an alternate solution under center this offseason.
They found one in former No. 1 pick Kyler Murray, who had worn out his welcome in Arizona to the point that his former team willingly ate more than $50 million in dead cap hits to move forward without him.
Minnesota was more than happy to take a chance on the talented, multiple-time Pro Bowler. The hope was that surrounding the dual-threat with a more talented arsenal would rejuvenate his career.