The Minnesota Vikings were one of the most talked about teams leading to the NFL Draft.
There were countless reports about how Kevin O’Connell and company were aggressively looking to trade up into the top five to get their hands on J.J. McCarthy.
Eventually, that wasn’t necessary, and they only needed to move up one spot to make sure to get the Michigan product.
McCarthy was the most notorious riser in the pre-draft process, and while some weren’t so sold on him, the Vikings always knew he was their guy.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean he’s going to take the reins of the team right away.
As shown on DraftKings Sportsbook (via 32 Beat Writers), Sam Darnold is currently the odds-on favorite to start in Week 1.
Week 1 QB Starter odds via @DKSportsbook pic.twitter.com/rRovPG5IU0
— 32BeatWriters (@32BeatWriters) May 15, 2024
Of course, this isn’t a big edge, and anything can happen in training camp and the preseason, but this still shouldn’t be much of a surprise.
The Vikings gave Darnold a $10 million deal in free agency, and they wouldn’t have spent that kind of money to have him holding McCarthy’s clipboard.
McCarthy looks tailor-made for that system, and it wouldn’t even be shocking to see him taking over at some point in the season, but it seems like the Vikings are going to play it safely and slowly with their new franchise quarterback.
So, those who wanted to see whether he is as good as advertised or just another hyped-up system quarterback might have to wait for a little longer before jumping to conclusions about his career.
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