Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy

Wednesday, April 22, 5:40 AM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy has had a tumultuous start to his NFL career. While Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and Bo Nix, fellow quarterbacks taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, have all seen their dynasty stock rise tremendously through their first two years in the league, McCarthy's has been in free fall. After missing the entire 2024 season with a torn meniscus sustained in the preseason, McCarthy struggled mightily in what was essentially a redshirt rookie season, throwing for 163.2 yards per game while tossing 11 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, all the while dealing with nagging injuries and rumors of a soft benching. Heading into his third season, the Vikings have brought in former Cardinal Kyler Murray on a one-year deal. While Murray has faced his own on-field struggles of late, the presumption is that he should have the inside track to Minnesota's starting job in 2026, and after peaking as high as QB12 before ever taking a regular-season snap, McCarthy has fallen to RotoBaller's dynasty QB28. While things currently look bleak for his NFL future, it's important to remember that McCarthy is only 23 and has made just 10 professional starts. With Murray's deal only tying him to the Vikings for one season, a lot can happen between now and the point when Minnesota will need to make a decision on McCarthy's fifth-year option. Depending on just how low his stock dips, he could still be a worthwhile dart-throw acquisition for rebuilding dynasty managers.