Kevin O’Connell wants ‘competitive environment’ for Vikings QBs Sam Darnold, J.J. McCarthy at training camp

Entering the 2024 NFL Draft, some scouts believed that McCarthy could use time on the sideline to gain seasoning after playing in a Michigan offense that didn’t ask him to carry the load as a passer. Landing in Minnesota is an ideal spot for the rookie quarterback, playing with an excellent receiver corps, behind a solid offensive line, and with a great play-caller.

The Vikings have gone out of their way since the draft to avoid putting pressure on McCarthy — something new QB coach Josh McCown learned first-hand with Bryce Young last year.

During offseason workouts and minicamp, Darnold was squarely ahead of McCarthy in the pecking order, per beat reporters, with the rookie even taking reps behind Mullens. O’Connell taking questions about how he plans to handle the QB situation and using it as a springboard to discuss Darnold continues to keep the focus on the veteran.

Darnold is poised to enter training camp in line to start Week 1. O’Connell confirmed as much on Wednesday, telling reporters, “We haven’t had to put out a depth chart or anything like that, but I would say Sam would be the guy I would look to.”

However, we’ve seen rookies make their moves during camp and preseason action. If the mental aspect of the game is there for McCarthy during the summer, he could push Darnold, who’s never shown consistency in six seasons (56 career starts). If O’Connell coaxes a career year out of Darnold, it would underscore the coach’s brilliance in managing and getting the best out of quarterbacks.

“I really feel like our job is to build the best possible environment that we can, coach at a really high level, have a really structured plan to where these guys know exactly what the expectations are every day, and then go out and compete and just go play football,” O’Connell told Schein. “And make sure we’re taking the opportunity this spring, which we’ve done, for all those guys to have personal development plans and really teach at a high level so that the can report to training camp and know that they can go compete it out every day and see kind of where the chips fall.”

The play of Darnold and McCarthy during camp will determine where the chips fall when the Vikings open the season against the New York Giants on Sept. 8.