With first-round pick J.J. McCarthy sidelined for 2024 after undergoing season-ending knee surgery, Sam Darnold is set to be the Vikings‘ starting quarterback all season.
It’s an opportunity for Darnold to fully display what he can do with solid offensive coaching and weapons around him for an extended period.
On Tuesday, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said that Darnold has done well throughout the offseason and training camp to be well set up for Week 1.
“He hasn’t had any issues, really, that I’ve noticed or that have come up,” Phillips said. “He asks good questions when something does come up in the meeting room. He’s got a lot of experience playing football — and being in different systems, I think you have some history with some concepts. A lot of us run very similar concepts. There might be a tweak here or there, or maybe we coach it a little bit differently, or coach the footwork a little bit differently. But the one thing he’s done is come out and be able to throw the football extremely well throughout the spring, throughout the [summer].
“So, we’re really excited about Sam and the kind of year we believe he can have and will have. I don’t think lack of knowledge of the system or anything like that, history with our system is going to be any issue.”
Darnold started just one game for the 49ers last season while serving as Brock Purdy’s backup. In all of his 10 appearances, he went 28-of-46 for 297 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
The No. 3 pick of the 2018 draft, Darnold has compiled a 21-35 record as a starter for the Jets, Panthers, and 49ers. He’s completed 59.7 percent of his career passes for 12,064 yards with 63 touchdowns and 56 interceptions.
