NFL News: Kevin O’Connell responds if Vikings have made final decision on Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy as starting quarterback

Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings have a key decision to make for the future of the team: give Sam Darnold a contract extension or trust J.J. McCarthy as the franchise quarterback despite his lack of experience.

Before the 2024 season, the Vikings surprised everyone in free agency by signing Darnold to a one-year, $10 million deal. The agreement turned out to be a bargain, considering that the former Jets and 49ers player had a spectacular performance leading Minnesota to a 14-3 record.

Even though they couldn’t win the Super Bowl, Sam Darnold proved that he could be the key to making the Vikings contenders in the NFL against teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Buffalo Bills, and the Detroit Lions. The problem now is that keeping him will be much more expensive.

Will Vikings give Sam Darnold a contract extension?

After winning the Coach of the Year award at the NFL Honors ceremony in New Orleans, Kevin O’Connell was asked if he had already made a final decision about Sam Darnold’s future. This was his answer to Kevin Seifert.

“You know how I feel about Sam. He is a guy that we identified last year as somebody who could come in and be successful. And really no matter where he was at before he arrived in his quarterback journey, it was about maximizing our time together. And I think we did that, and I think it was a very special year for Sam.”

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“And what that earned him is, everybody in our league now thinks he’s a bona fide legitimate starting quarterback and can win a lot of football games. He won 14 of them. So he’s earned the right to be a free agent, but we will continue to have ongoing dialogue and discussions with him and his representation as well as being really excited about J.J. McCarthy and where he’s at in his rehab. He’s really hit the ground running as the true offseason has begun. We feel very fortunate. Now, we’ve got to see what that quarterback room is going to look like as we try to put together the best possible team for 2025.”