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NFL Execs' Drop Honest Vikings QB Predictions on J.J. McCarthy, Sam Howell

After months of drama, the Minnesota Vikings' quarterback room seems set -- but that's not stopping outsiders from continuing to poke at the organization's biggest question.

The Vikings are moving forward with J.J. McCarthy as their starter to begin their offseason program and traded for former Washington Commanders fifth-rounder Sam Howell to serve as backup.

It's the plan set in motion when the new regime of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O'Connell arrived -- refresh with a young quarterback and build a contender roster around him.

The Athletic's Mike Sando queried NFL executives on every team's offseason, two of which chimed in on the Vikings quarterback plan and offered some head-turning responses.

“You know what is going to happen?” an exec who wasn’t high on McCarthy asked Sando. “J.J. is going to get banged up, and Howell is going to walk in there and become the next Sam Darnold.”

While Howell has shown the arm talent to be a potential stopgap starter, he is no Darnold, a former No. 3 overall pick. Howell's closer Vikings comparison would be Nick Mullens, who signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in March.

Hearing the Darnold-Howell comparison left another executive baffled.

“Stop,” the second exec said, per Sando. “There’s no comparison. J.J. will be really good, and the coach (Kevin O’Connell) will make sure he is good.”

Betting on O'Connell's reputation as a quarterback whisperer is a thought both executives share. O'Connell coaxed a 14-win season out of Darnold when the NFL at large picked the Vikings to finish last in the division and win just six or seven games.

McCarthy's health concerns appear to be in the rearview, and as far as getting "banged up," the Vikings overhauled their offensive line, replacing all three starting interior linemen, in anticipation of McCarthy.

The road is paved for the 22-year-old quarterback to take the team as far as he can go. There will be some bumps along the way, but any suggestion that McCarthy -- hand-picked by O'Connell with the No. 10 overall pick in last year's draft -- isn't capable or is injury-prone should are

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