Please don't put JJ McCarthy in another uniform, including the Giants, just yet.
Sam Darnold's second-straight Jets-like performance in a prime-time game, which ended the Vikings' season with a 27-9 wild-card loss to the Rams on Monday night, was likely the decision-maker in Minnesota. I think it helped solidify how to handle future matches. Quarterback controversy.
Darnold deserves all the praise, applause, and perhaps even the Comeback Player of the Year award for leading the Vikings to a 14-4 record, but the reality is that he won two of the biggest games of the season with flying colors. I got it.
McCarthy, who was selected 10th overall by the Vikings in last year's NFL Draft, is currently on the sidelines.
Some speculated whether the Vikings should trade McCarthy because of Darnold's promotion, but those two ugly performances against the Lions and Rams are warts that will be difficult to remove.
Darnold, 27, looked like a failure for the former Jet in those games, taking bad sacks, making bad throws and leading his team to nine points in both games.
Over the past two weeks, he was just 43-of-81 (53.1%) for 411 yards, one touchdown and one interception. That includes going 25-of-40 on Monday, which included a touchdown and an interception. He also lost a fumble for a touchdown in a blowout loss in the playoffs.
“I think I could have thrown it better, but I left some throws out,” Darnold said. “I made too many mistakes. … I obviously haven't played well enough the last few weeks.”
It's possible the Vikings could still use the franchise tag on Darnold, but giving him a lucrative contract and trading McCarthy after these back-to-back underperformances would raise some flags.
This season, the best of his career so far, is an outlier in a career that has had too many underwhelming seasons with the Jets and Panthers.
Darnold said he's not worried about how the past two weeks will affect his future.
“We all appreciate Sam's body of work and what he was able to do this year, when almost no one thought he could lead the team to 14 wins,” Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said. “It's very important that we think about it.” “I think Sam will be the first to tell you because it didn't work out in the end. Could he have played better tonight? I'm sure he'll tell you he can. …Sam, And the journey he and I took this year will definitely hold a special place in my heart.”
This isn't to say the decision was easy, as the 21-year-old McCarthy is a sure-fire, can't-miss prospect.
He has had two knee surgeries since tearing his meniscus in the summer and has never played in the NFL. Some even question his limits in the league.
But acquiring a quarterback on a rookie deal is the NFL's biggest cheat code outside of acquiring Patrick Mahomes, and the Vikings believe in McCarthy enough to select him in the top 10.
Teams need to make decisions to win championships, and while the Giants may not, Darnold didn't look like the quarterback who could lead his team to the promised land when it mattered.
There are many unknowns about McCarthy, including the ceiling and floor.
“There are too many negatives,” O'Connell said. “Really, we've had too many negative plays over the past two weeks and we've been on the back burner.''
If the Vikings choose to let Darnold become a free agent, it would give teams in need of a quarterback, like the Giants and possibly the Browns, an option.
And in that scenario, the Vikings would want their first-round pick to be able to perform in those important games. Darnold had an otherwise great season, but it was like seeing another ghost.
“At the end of the day, it's all about when you have a good season. What do you do in the playoffs?” Darnold said. “We couldn't get it done. That's all that matters.”
