Kevin O’Connell: JJ McCarthy is able to get a full offseason to show he can be a starter

The quarterback position was central to the conversation in the Vikings’ end-of-season news conferences on Thursday.

Sam Darnold’s future with the organization was one big issue, and 2024 first-round pick JJ McCarthy’s return from a torn meniscus that prevented him from playing as a starter was another. Decisions on re-signing or placing the franchise tag on Darnold must come before the team gets a chance to see McCarthy on the field and coach Kevin O’Connell called it “too early” to know what things will look like. Minnesota.

Even without going through practice, the team will have to have some sort of feeling about whether McCarthy will be ready for the fall and O’Connell was asked if he would feel comfortable with McCarthy heading into the year.

“I Very excited About JJ’s whereabouts. . . . “He’s back on the field training, back to being able to be where we hoped he would be at this point to get some sort of relief to answer that question,” O’Connell said. “I think he’s hit the ground running this year for him, and I think he has a comfort level in our offensive system.”

Heading into Week 18, there appeared to be little chance the Vikings would let Darnold escape, but his performance in back-to-back losses has muddied the picture for 2025. How the Vikings reposition will be one of the biggest storylines of Week 18. of the offseason.