Vikings Quarterback Situation Gets Pitiful Update (Darnold favored as Week 1 Starter)
Vikings fans have had to deal with sub-par quarterback play since Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles tendon eight games into last season, and that might not change any time soon.
Sam Darnold is projected to be the Week 1 starter in Minnesota per various reports and he’s listed as the QB1 at ESPN.com.
There’s a few reasons why that should make Packers fans excited. Let’s break ‘em down.
Sam Darnold Projected to Be Vikings’ Week 1 Starter
All NFL fans are well aware of Darnold’s struggles in the league since he was drafted with the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft in 2018.
He hasn’t ever been in a great landing spot (Jets, Panthers, Niners backup), but his numbers have been downright dreadful.
Darnold has only had one season as a starter with at least a 60% completion percentage and 3,000 passing yards (2019) and he’s thrown for at least 11 INTs in every season as a starter as well.
Though he’s played better since becoming a backup with Carolina and San Francisco (59% completion percentage with 9 TDs to 4 INTs over the last two seasons), he is still assuredly one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL.
Darnold opening the season as QB1 should be music to the ears of Packers fans.
It's not that I think Sam Darnold will necessarily take off and thrive as a standalone event. It's that I think it will be a very Vikings thing for Darnold to play too well for J.J. McCarthy to see the field immediately.
— Dustin Baker (@DustBaker) April 30, 2024
kinda like when we said, "It would be the most Vikings…
It gives Green Bay a solid shot at winning both games against Minnesota, almost certainly removing a contender for the division crown and shouldn’t help future starter JJ McCarthy all that much.
Sure, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell likely wouldn't have started McCarthy in Week 1 no matter what, but Darnold having even a modicum of success could delay McCarthy’s development significantly, and it’s not as if that’s a great veteran for McCarthy to learn from.
If Darnold struggles early and McCarthy isn’t an instant success, it’s hard to see why superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson would want to stay in Minnesota.
Justin Jefferson after 1 practice of catching passes from Sam Darnold and JJ McCarthy: pic.twitter.com/ueacHja4c7
— Matt Mamba (@MattMamba24) April 26, 2024
Either way this works out, it’s likely to be good for fans of every other NFC North team.
Cheers to that, Packers fans.
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