One of the biggest questions of the looming offseason is already being asked and analyzed, ad nauseum.
Should the Vikings keep quarterback Sam Darnold and trade J.J. McCarthy? Or should they keep McCarthy and tag and trade Darnold?
The best answer could be the most obvious one: Both.
Veteran quarterback contracts usually carry two fully guaranteed seasons at signing. (Some have three.) If the Vikings can persuade Darnold to take a long-term deal that fully guarantees a little more than the expected franchise tag for the next two years ($40 million and $48 million) and that has a sizable injury guarantee for the third year, they can keep Darnold through 2026 and then decide whether to let it ride with Darnold or to pivot to McCarthy.
If Darnold hits the open market, he’d likely get a similar amount of security — two fully guaranteed years and injury guarantees in year three. Also, he’d run the risk of regression if/when he’s playing without Kevin O’Connell as his head coach.
It’s a win-win for Darnold and the Vikings. And while McCarthy might not like sitting for three seasons, if anyone can persuade him to do it happily, it would be O’Connell.
In Green Bay, both Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love sat for three years. In both of those situations, there was plenty of dysfunction created by the incumbent quarterback. For the Vikings, O’Connell’s influence seems to have created a supportive environment that will properly prepare McCarthy for his shot.
Maybe, after two more years, the Vikings will decide to keep Darnold, who doesn’t turn 30 until 2027. They can trade McCarthy then, who will carry with him three years of learning the ropes from the NFL’s new quarterback whisperer.
However it goes, a final answer isn’t due in a matter of two months. The Vikings can let it play out for two years. That would be the smartest play, if they can find a way to make it play out.
