J.J. McCarthy is a key to the Minnesota Vikings’ offseason plans, so the additional hurdle he is navigating is especially noteworthy.

There are plenty of really good reasons why the Vikings should do the opposite of what the insider thinks will happen.

The Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was expected to serve as a stopgap starter while the team developed rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy.  Darnold, wh

That was before quarterback guru Kevin O'Connell arrived in Minnesota. He's made the Vikings a dream destination for any quarterback looking for a change of scenery, including Fields, who named Minnesota one of his four preferred destinations in a trade last year.

The Minnesota Vikings’ Wild Card loss last Monday night was one of the most astonishing cases of Bright Light Syndrome in recent memory. Sam Darnold

That's the premise of an interesting recent article from ESPN's Ben Solak, who dove into the Darnold decision and how it'll impact QB movement this year. The whole thing is worth reading, but let's take a look at — and react to — some of the notable things Solak said.

"I would say most likely, he's played his final game in Minnesota," Schultz said on The Herd. In the caption he posted with the video of the segment, he said he has "a hard time seeing (Darnold) back in Minnesota" and that "J.J. McCarthy is the future."

McCarthy has undergone two knee surgeries, repairing a torn meniscus that knocked him out for the season. The former national championship-winning passer, however, is back on the field doing QB drills, Adofo-Mensah said ( via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert ), with the GM indicating the 2024 No. 10 overall pick is on schedule.

Despite the difficult end to the 2024 season, Sam Darnold's overall performance is likely to result in him receiving a nice contract in free agency

The New York Giants have quite a few large chores to perform this offseason but none larger than finally locating a franchise-level quarterback. They hold the third overall section in the 2025 NFL draft and have nearly $50 million in available salary cap space

The Vikings could bring back the 27-year-old, but other teams will likely be interested, too. Here's who could be in the market for the QB.