Okay, this is a reunion made in heaven for one side.
The Minnesota Vikings visit the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday and get to reacquaint themselves with the quarterback that led them to 14 regular season wins last year. You know, the guy that just missed earning the Vikings the top seed in the playoffs but lost on the last day of the regular season to the Detroit Lions. After he lost again the next week to open the playoffs, the Vikings decision was seemingly easy to let him go and return to what they were hoping for before he arrived.
That is, having 2024 top draft choice, J.J. McCarthy, lead the team.
Well, Minnesota’s castoff, Sam Darnold, now is playing in Seattle and hasn’t missed a down this year due to injury, just like he didn’t last season while leading the Vikings into the playoffs. And the guy the Vikings chucked him out for, McCarthy, may not play again this week because of concussion protocol.
Yeah, the Vikings decision to cut Darnold loose after his end of the season losses may have been easy, but you would have trouble convincing Minnesota fans it was right.
Since Darnold stepped in to replace an injured McCarthy last season he has guided his teams to 22 regular season wins in 28 games. Fourteen of those wins were for the Vikings, and while he has led the Seattle Seahawks to eight wins in 11 games this season, the guy Minnesota kept to take over their offense has missed more games than he has played again this year due to injuries. With McCarthy and backups this season, the Vikings are in last place with a 4 and 7 NFC North Division won/loss record.