Vikings Starting QB Odds Add to J.J. McCarthy Embarrassment
By Cem Yolbulan
The Green Bay Packers are entering the 2024 NFL season with playoff aspirations. Despite the fact that the Chicago Bears significantly improved in the offseason and the Detroit Lions continue to be a Super Bowl favorite, the Packers will have an excellent shot at making the postseason and repeating last season's success.
One NFC North rival that the Packers should have no trouble overcoming is the Minnesota Vikings. After losing Kirk Cousins in free agency, the Vikings added Sam Darnold to replace him and drafted J.J. McCarthy with the tenth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Michigan product has struggled in the minicamp and the training camp so far, complicating the quarterback situation in Minnesota.
The betting odds for who the Vikings' starting QB will be in Week 1 also underline how far McCarthy still is from being an NFL starter. On DraftKings Sportsbook, McCarthy is a long shot (+600) compared to Darnold (-600) to be the starter against the New York Giants on September 8.
This is in line with the previous reports from the Vikings' offseason. The offensive coordinator Wes Phillips had remarked that they were trying to change the mechanics and footwork of McCarthy before the regular season.
Considering the lack of NFL-readiness of McCarthy and Darnold's overall track record, it's hard to see the Vikings being a serious threat in the division. Darnold started one game for the 49ers last season and has an overall 21-35 record in the NFL over his first six seasons. Already a draft bust as the third-overall pick, Darnold doesn't have the required upside to get the Vikings back to their winning ways.
It's safe to assume that McCarthy will take over the starting job at some point in the season but Packers fans will not have anything to worry about.
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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.