That was before quarterback guru Kevin O'Connell arrived in Minnesota. He's made the Vikings a dream destination for any quarterback looking for a change of scenery, including Fields, who named Minnesota one of his four preferred destinations in a trade last year.

J.J. McCarthy is a key to the Minnesota Vikings’ offseason plans, so the additional hurdle he is navigating is especially noteworthy.

Sam Darnold’s second straight Jets-esque performance in a primetime game, this one ending the Vikings’ season Monday night in the 27-9 wild-card loss to the Rams, has perhaps helped solidify to Minnesota decision-makers how they should handle their upcoming quarterback controversy.

There are plenty of really good reasons why the Vikings should do the opposite of what the insider thinks will happen.

Should the Vikings pay Darnold after his (mostly) excellent season? Or should they go with McCarthy and spend that money at other positions?

The Minnesota Vikings went out with a whimper on a Monday night, and in the process, Sam Darnold may have cost himself any shot to return as the club's unquestioned starting quarterback. A pleasant surprise for much of an explosive 2024 campaign,

When the lights got the brightest, Sam Darnold reverted to his ghost-seeing ways. And that makes it a lot easier to allow Darnold to become a free agent and to move forward with 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy.

Sam Darnold's future as the Minnesota Vikings quarterback is a major question mark heading into the offseason. Has the former USC Trojan earned the right to be the starter next season, or will the Pro Bowler be on the move?

The former USC Trojans star completed 25-of-40 passes for 245 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Darnold also lost a fumble, which was recovered for a touchdown, and was sacked nine times by Los Angeles, which tied an NFL postseason record.

The Vikings general manager told reporters Thursday that Darnold is among the “good options” the Vikings have at quarterback while adding that J.J. McCarthy has returned to on-field training.

The Minnesota Vikings signed veteran journeyman quarterback Sam Darnold to serve as a stopgap quarterback while they developed rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

With the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback now a free agent following a disappointing end to the campaign, could it be that he’s about to be replaced?