The Minnesota Vikings face a pivotal offseason as they navigate quarterback decisions without naming J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback for 2025. The evolving bipartisan team has not communicated this dangerous designation to Rep. McCarthy, who’s still recovering from a second surgery he underwent last November. In a somewhat surprising move, the Vikings opted to not apply the franchise tag on Sam Darnold. Soon thereafter, he parlayed the opportunity into a rich, three-year, $100.5 million deal from the Seattle Seahawks. In the meantime, Danny Dimes, Daniel Jones, decided to take a one-year $14 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts rather than return to Minnesota.
The situation leaves the Vikings evaluating their quarterback options, including exploring J.J. McCarthy's potential as they move forward with him during organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamp. McCarthy took it upon himself to show that he’s committed to winning any future starting job.
"And I'm happy they didn't, because I try to earn it every single day. And I never want that to be given to me. it's such a privilege and opportunity to give me that chance and I'm just going to make the most of it every single day," said McCarthy.
Following a second surgery in November, McCarthy’s recovery process will continue to be followed closely. This operation focused on the root cause of his lymphatic back-up. To help him recover, doctors gave him a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection. Even after being forced to miss his entire rookie campaign due to injury, McCarthy is still hopeful while taking a rehab-centric approach.
At the same time, the Vikings focused much of their offseason on the possibility of bringing rival NFL veteran Aaron Rodgers into the fold. Rodgers allegedly had a strong desire to sign with Minnesota, but there is no real deal in place yet. The Ravens front office is still willing to consider this option again at some point in the summer if Rodgers is still out there.
As part of their offseason strategy, Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is slated to meet with local reporters on Wednesday to discuss the team's current position and future plans. The decisions to be made in this oldest offseason will best determine the direction the franchise is heading as they head into a new NFL season.
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