The Minnesota Vikings will have a new starting quarterback this upcoming season after Kirk Cousins left the team this offseason to sign with the Atlanta Falcons, instead. And even though the team selected former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the first round, it sounds like the team has decided to give the majority of the first-team reps to veteran quarterback Sam Darnold.
During a press conference as the team gets set to begin training camp, Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell announced that Sam Darnold will get the majority of the first-team reps over J.J. McCarthy, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.
“QB Sam Darnold will take the majority of first-team snaps when camp opens, Kevin O’Connell reiterated, but he does expect J.J. McCarthy to get some as well,” Seifert said in a post on X, the social media website that was formerly known as Twitter.
QB Sam Darnold will take the majority of first-team snaps when camp opens, Kevin O'Connell reiterated, but he does expect J.J. McCarthy to get some as well.
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) July 22, 2024
Darnold joined the team this offseason following the departure of Cousins. Though he has not been a full-time starting quarterback in the league since 2021, he has plenty of experience, starting 56 total games throughout his career in the league.
The team appears to be set to move forward with him as the first-team quarterback as long as he can prove himself in training camp.
