Scoggins: Vikings have three options at quarterback heading into the offseason

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah called it the “golden question.” Actually, it’s the Vikings, so it’s more like the never-ending question.

What are they planning to do at quarterback next season?

The context has changed but not the question, even after the Vikings doubled their victory total from seven to 14 in a calendar year.

Adofo-Mensah, the Vikings general manager, and coach Kevin O’Connell held season-ending news conferences Thursday during which the main topic was, naturally, the quarterback situation.

Neither man closed the door on Sam Darnold returning, nor committed publicly to any other option. Nothing about that came as a surprise, of course, because the season just ended and the process of building the 2025 roster is at the starting line.

Let’s examine three possibilities:

1.) Re-sign Darnold and/or place the franchise tag on him with the potential to trade him.

2.) Turn the offense over to first-round pick J.J. McCarthy coming off a knee injury that cost him his rookie season.

3.) Sign in-season pickup Daniel Jones to a bridge contract similar to what Darnold received (one year, $10 million) and have him as insurance in case McCarthy isn’t ready to start the season.

“When you think about that position,” Adofo-Mensah said, “you want to give yourself options.”

I’d choose the McCarthy-Jones option, if that’s doable with Jones as an emergency bridge.

Darnold produced one of the NFL’s best stories through 16 games. He earned a Pro Bowl invitation with a turnaround season that was one of the best statistically among all quarterbacks. But his performances in the regular-season finale at Detroit and playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams were so remindful of his stints in New York and Carolina that doubling down with much higher financial compensation is far too risky.

The franchise tag is expected to be around $40 million for quarterbacks. The Vikings would be able to trade Darnold, but there’s no guarantees they could find a willing trade partner, despite the scarcity of quality quarterbacks around the league.

The roster has areas that need to be fixed. Winning 14 games didn’t hide personnel deficiencies.

A main reason the organization moved on from Kirk Cousins is because his contract devoured so much salary cap space, thus prohibiting the ability to address other issues.

Too many draft misses by Adofo-Mensah and the previous regime forced them to rely heavily on outside free agent additions. The Vikings likely will need a similar strategy this offseason because they have so few draft picks.

Adofo-Mensah’s to-do list includes getting younger and finding replacements along the offensive and defensive lines and secondary.

Spending significant financial capital on a quarterback would deviate from the organizational plan put in place last spring. This season began under the premise of being a bridge season. A bridge from Cousins to McCarthy, the 10th overall draft pick in 2024.

Darnold changed the narrative and helped the team far exceeded expectations, but constructing a well-balanced, sturdy team around a quarterback on a rookie contract remains the north star.

The two leaders referenced the team aspect in roster-building in addressing questions about the quarterback decision.

Adofo-Mensah: “Everything that we do is about, ‘OK, what is the team around him going to look like. What does this piece fit into our whole championship equation?’”

O’Connell: “How we build forward and how we put things together as we move into the future will be based upon what gives us the best chance to win, what gives us the best chance to put the best version of the Minnesota Vikings football team on the field.”

The timing is tricky because of McCarthy’s injury. He showed promise and flashes of why the organization invested a high draft pick on him as training camp progressed, enough to fuel speculation about whether he might replace Darnold at some point during the season.

A knee injury in the preseason ended his rookie season and essentially gave him a redshirt year to watch and learn while recovering.

McCarthy has been cleared for throwing and training workouts. Adofo-Mensah noted that he saw McCarthy doing work on the indoor practice field Thursday morning.

“He looks great,” he said. “You talk about a kid who’s just obsessed with football and loves being around the game. We’re excited about what we have in him.”

Still unknown though is whether McCarthy will be 100% healthy and in position to assume the starting role by the opener after missing so much time.

“I can’t sit here and tell you I know anything for certain,” Adofo-Mensah said. “I know that I’m willing to believe in the person that we have. That position is about talent and preparation. And he’s got those things in spades. And so if that’s the course of action we decide, we’ll go there confidently.”

The team needs a backup plan in case McCarthy’s not ready, a better option than Nick Mullens. Jones makes sense in that role.

Signed in late November after being released by the New York Giants, Jones needs an opportunity to revitalize his career in the same way that Darnold needed it last year. Maybe O’Connell can produce a similar outcome.

The organization has placed great faith in O’Connell to pick and develop a franchise quarterback. That plan started last spring. Now it’s time to continue with it.