Kevin Szafraniec looks back on Kevin O’Connell’s history of quarterback production when detailing J.J. McCarthy’s upside. Will a breakout season from the first-year starter be enough for Minnesota to take the next step toward the Super Bowl?

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Since arriving in Minnesota in 2022, Kevin O’Connell has earned his reputation as one of the most gifted offensive minds in the NFL. Even O’Connell’s lone losing season in 2023, which was sandwiched between a 13-4 record in his first season and a 14-3 finish in 2024, was not without its awe-inspiring moments. After losing his starting quarterback halfway through the season, O’Connell was still able to field a formidable offense while shuffling a group of career journeymen in and out of the lineup on almost a weekly basis.

Last season, O’Connell once again displayed his ability to elevate his QBs by turning NFL Draft bust Sam Darnold into fantasy’s QB7. With the unproven first-year starter J.J. McCarthy set to lead the offense in 2025, O’Connell has an opportunity to further enhance his sterling reputation. But do the Vikings have more glaring concerns than a first-year QB, which could prevent them from building on their 2024 success?

Don’t miss the other installments in our comprehensive 2025 Team Breakdown series:

• Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle Are Priced for the Darkest Timeline . . . That Might Still Be Optimistic
• 2025’s Most Dominant Fantasy Offense Is About to Go Nuclear: Why This Is Lamar Jackson’s Super Bowl Year and How to Exploit Baltimore’s Loaded Roster
• Are the 49ers’ Championship Dreams Dead, or Are They About to Be Resurrected by New Fantasy Stars?

If Sam Darnold Can Pull It Off, Does That Mean Anyone Can?

The Vikings have had some of the worst quarterback luck in the league the past two seasons. In 2023, Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles in Week 8, and Minnesota used a patchwork group of QBs to finish 7-10. Last offseason, the team chose to let Cousins leave in free agency and drafted McCarthy 10th overall. Sadly, McCarthy tore his meniscus in the preseason, thrusting journeyman Darnold into the team’s starting role.

By all accounts, Darnold’s season should be considered a success, keeping in mind the lows he experienced at the start of his career. Although his final two games with Minnesota were more reminiscent of the player who was largely lost in New York and Carolina, Darnold did pilot the Vikings’ offense to a 14-3 record before being blown out 27-9 in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.

Whether Darnold’s career year was of his own making or due to O’Connell’s ability to work around his weaknesses is debatable. However, the fact that the Vikings were able to be successful with a QB who has generally underwhelmed at every stop in his NFL career before landing in Minnesota bodes well for McCarthy’s floor entering 2025.