The past two weeks have clarified the Minnesota Vikings’ plans for the 2025 season. The team has provided a convincing case that it prefers 2024 No. 10 draft pick J.J. McCarthy as its starting quarterback, and that free agent Aaron Rodgers would be an option only in the case of a catastrophe — and if he’s still available at that time.
McCarthy’s development will remain the most important story surrounding the franchise, especially once he returns to on-field work at the end of this month. But recent interviews and informal discussions with the Vikings’ key decision-makers, most recently at the NFL’s annual meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, provided insight into the execution of a blueprint to build a roster that can support a young quarterback.
Let’s dive further into the details and context of this crucial time period, one the Vikings hope has positioned them to make a deep playoff run this season
On the morning of the 2024 draft, coach Kevin O’Connell summoned quarterback Sam Darnold to his office. In a 45-minute conversation, O’Connell told Darnold — who had recently signed a one-year contract with the Vikings — that the team planned to draft a quarterback that evening. Regardless of that plan, however, O’Connell told Darnold that he would be an important part of the 2024 season.
The conversation was one of the first steps in building Darnold into the Pro Bowl quarterback he became eight months later, and O’Connell utilized a similar approach to explain his discussions with Rodgers to McCarthy and others.
“J.J. knew of those conversations almost borderline in real time just because I do see him every day throughout the week,” O’Connell said, “and I thought it was important just so that he was hearing it from me and my perspective from the very first time I had any communication, really in regards to Aaron and any of the other free agents that we’ve discussed at kind of all positions.”
O’Connell said he also spoke with receiver Justin Jefferson, tight end T.J. Hockenson, right tackle Brian O’Neill and linebacker Jonathan Greenard about Rodgers and/or the team’s roster plans. It might sound simple, but there is value in preventing players — especially McCarthy — from being blindsided by news reports that could affect their jobs.
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