One thing is crystal clear: The NFC North is far less formidable with quarterback Sam Darnold no longer a part of the Minnesota Vikings’ organization.
The now Seahawks quarterback led his team to a 31-27 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game and will now play in Super Bowl LX. Darnold completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards, three touchdowns, and played turnover-free football.
The Vikings signed Darnold to their roster for the 2024 season, and the veteran helped lead the team to a 14-win season. Even though the Vikings’ year was cut short in the Wild Card Round against the Rams, Darnold proved he could be the reason why a team is a legitimate contender.
However, the Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in 2024. He never played a regular season snap because of a torn meniscus, but the Vikings committed to McCarthy the following season and let Darnold leave in free agency, where he signed a three-year, $100 million contract with the Seahawks
The first season into that lucrative deal and Darnold is going to the Super Bowl.
Bears fans have witnessed one of the biggest mistakes in Vikings history
The Vikings finished third in the NFC North at 9-8 and failed to make the playoffs this season. McCarthy played just 10 games because of injuries and threw for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
During the Vikings’ end-of-season news conference, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was asked if he wanted McCarthy to be the starter for the 2026 season, and his answer was telling.
“I want the Vikings to achieve our goals, and I think one of those goals is to make playoff runs and do different things like that,” Adofo-Mensah said. “I think he has the character and ability to be the person and do that for our organization. If I say that [I want him to be the starter] in 2026, that binds us into a certain area, the way we’ve set this team up.
We built this core, like we’ve always talked about, give ourselves multiple shots at it, because you never know when there’s going to be a year where the field feels a little bit wide open, and you can make that run. So that’s what we’re really focused on talking about, whether it’s this year or next year. It’s my job to really bring that deep, competitive room that we’ve talked about to the Vikings.”
While the Seahawks are looking to potentially win a Super Bowl to close out the 2025 NFL season, the Vikings are keeping their options open at the quarterback position. Whether the Vikings commit to McCarthy or not, one thing is certain. Minnesota would pose a far greater challenge with Darnold under center.
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Obviously, the Bears can't overlook an opponent they went 1-1 against in 2025, but McCarthy is at the bottom of the NFC North quarterback hierarchy, which helps Chicago in its pursuit to build on what they started this past season.