J.J. McCarthy’s first season as a full-fledged starter for the Minnesota Vikings wasn’t anything to write home about. He proved injury-prone once again, and when healthy, the team seemed to prefer running the ball rather than throwing it.
With Sam Darnold’s incredible success in his first season with the Seattle Seahawks, making it to Super Bowl LX, fans are wondering if the Vikings and their top-rated defense could’ve done better had they kept their veteran signal-caller.
Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was recently asked if he thought the team would’ve done better with Darnold as the starter this season, and it looks like he agrees.
“Everyone knows the difficulty of the QB position this year of how we were dealt it. Of course, having the QB that’s already had the season under his belt with us, knew the plays, knew the playbook, knew the players, of course throwing to me, Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson, all of these guys. I definitely felt like we would’ve done better. But you know, it is what it is,” Jefferson said.
Darnold took over as the starter at Minnesota in the 2024 preseason after rookie J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury. His season with the Vikings was indeed a success, with the team finishing with a 14-3 record. He recorded even more yards that year than in 2025 so far, with 4319 (vs. 4048* in 2025). Darnold also won his first Pro Bowl selection that year.
Sam Darnold Credits His Teammates for the NFC Championship Win
Sam Darnold’s career has been a path of resiliency, with the quarterback refusing to give up on demonstrating that he can be a reliable starter. In that sense, the NFC Championship victory feels like a validation of his efforts.
However, shortly after punching the ticket for Super Bowl LX, he made sure to point out that this achievement wasn’t just his, but the entire team’s.
“It’s amazing, to be able to do it with these guys though, in this locker room, with this coaching staff, that’s why it means the world to me,” Darnold said. “I take it one day at a time, every single day, and like I said, to be able to do it with these guys out here, this locker room, it’s a special group, and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.”
The Seahawks come to Super Bowl LX as slight favorites over the New England Patriots, with the bookies having them as 4.5-point favorites.
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