The Minnesota Vikings entered last offseason with a huge decision to make. Would they stick with Sam Darnold or turn the keys of the franchise over to a completely unproven J.J. McCarthy?
After finishing the 2024 NFL season with a 14-3 record and being one of the best teams in the NFL with Darnold leading the way, the Vikings decided to let him walk in free agency. Darnold ended up signing with the Seattle Seahawks and now he’s preparing to play in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots.
As for Minnesota, the Vikings struggled through the 2025 season. McCarthy was unable to stay healthy and when he was on the field did not look like a franchise quarterback. That has led to questions about the future.
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Moving on from Darnold after one impressive season has turned out to be a mistake. One Minnesota star didn’t hold back from throwing shade at the team for its decision.
Aaron Jones, the Vikings’ veteran star running back, spoke out about Darnold and the Vikings. He was clearly unhappy with the decision the team made at the quarterback position.
“Last year we only lost to two teams, really,” Jones said. “We lost two to the Rams and two to the Lions. I feel like we had everything we needed, but we’re not GMs, that’s outside of us. But when you got a group of guys behind a quarterback and he wants to stay somewhere, you try to make it work.”
That statement makes it very clear how Jones feels. He stopped short of throwing McCarthy under the bus, but it’s obvious that he wanted Darnold to stay in Minnesota.
Darnold completed 67.7 percent of his passes during the 2025 season, throwing for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. McCarthy, on the other hand, threw for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in the 10 games he played, completing just 57.6 percent of his pass attempts.
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There is still time for McCarthy to figure things out and become the long-term guy for the Vikings. However, the question remains, would Minnesota have remained a contender this season with Darnold under center?
It’s obvious that Jones thinks the team made a mistake. Hopefully, McCarthy can make him backtrack on those words.
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