The Minnesota Vikings invested their first-round pick in J.J. McCarthy at the draft last year. However, McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury during the preseason and remained sidelined for his whole rookie campaign.

The Minnesota Vikings are reportedly expecting J.J. McCarthy to remain the future QB1 regardless of whether the team franchise tags or re-signs Sam Darnold. According to The Athletic's Alec Lewis, the organization still has an "internal sentiment" of "McCarthy being the Vikings' future.

After exceeding expectations with a 14-3 record, contending for the NFC’s top seed, and securing a playoff berth, the Minnesota Vikings face a crucial offseason. One analyst suggested the Vikings plan to let Sam Darnold walk,