NFC North 2025

Raptorman

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I think the worst nightmare scenario fur the Vikings is to see Darnold Win a Super Bowl. Can you imagine sending Jordan Love away and he goes to an NFC rival and wins a Super Bowl? Talk about creating an angry fan base.

I said it in here before the season. It just shocked me they didn’t resign Darnold for at least a year and develop JJ Coming off a lost season. Who lets their QB leave after 13-4 season? Had they kept Darnold? there’s a really good chance that The Vikings would’ve been in the playoffs or even knocked GB out. Even outside chance they Win the North with the way both GB and Detroit struggled. Instead they are in a serious QB dilemma.
They tried to re-sign him. He wanted either too much or to move on. One has to remember this thing called the salary cap. He did sign for an average of $33 million a year, and I don't think the Vikings wanted to sign him for 3 more years with JJ being in the wings.
 

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It was a choice. They went with JJ in order to have a couple of cheap years. $33 million is cheap for Darnold now. What are we paying Love...50? We still don't know about JJ but...
 

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They tried to re-sign him. He wanted either too much or to move on. One has to remember this thing called the salary cap. He did sign for an average of $33 million a year, and I don't think the Vikings wanted to sign him for 3 more years with JJ being in the wings.

So basically Darnold wanted a big multi-year deal and the Vikings weren't willing to go that far with McCarthy just drafted.
 

Pokerbrat2000

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It was a choice. They went with JJ in order to have a couple of cheap years. $33 million is cheap for Darnold now. What are we paying Love...50? We still don't know about JJ but...

Exactly.

From what I remember reading, Darnold wanted to stay in Minnesota. However, the Vikings didn't want to pay or tag him, since they thought they had their franchise QB in McCarthy. So far, that decision has backfired on the Queens and paid off big for Darnold and the Seahawks.
 
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Raptorman

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So basically Darnold wanted a big multi-year deal and the Vikings weren't willing to go that far with McCarthy just drafted.
No one is really sure what went on, but that's the general consesus and it makes sense. You just drafted what you think is your next long-term QB. Do you sign someone for 3 years, putting your draft pick on ice for those years? Right now, Viking fans are talking about getting Cousins back once he is cut by Atlanta in March.
 
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20/20 hindsight, but it seems like the Vikings threw McCarthy into the starter role way too soon. He needed at least a year of development.
Why didn't they resign Darnold? His stat line from 2024 is pretty damn good. I mean, not resigning Darnold to pave the way for McCarthy while giving them more cap space, as the official line goes, seems like a lot of overplaced confidence in a rookie QB.
It’s not hindsight when you say it beforehand, which myself and others did. Couple that with their secondary QB decision. When they passed on Darnold for a much larger $. They could’ve signed Daniel Jones on the cheap. We now know he signed for $14mil so there’s a good chance earlier in? they could’ve had him for s couple Million $ less. We’re talking ~$12mil area and Making it a QB competition and still only having $20mil total tied up at QB. Which they could’ve pushed his Cap mostly into 2027.

That would’ve provided the Vikings a logical failsafe within a tight budget window. Allow JJ to prove himself across Weeks 1-6 area. If they don’t see progression, insert Daniel Jones and give JJ another year to develop. Jones posted d 100%+ Passer rating and would’ve at least been a formidable plan B.

Instead they pushed all their chips in on an unknown. An actual total unknown coming off a season ending surgery. Knowing full well most QB’s need a year or two to ramp up.
 
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They tried to re-sign him. He wanted either too much or to move on. One has to remember this thing called the salary cap. He did sign for an average of $33 million a year, and I don't think the Vikings wanted to sign him for 3 more years with JJ being in the wings.
That’s accurate. I’m sure it came down to $$. Might’ve been flirting with a contract offer but we’re thinking $15mil area was about their max offer. I get that because any more would be a large chunk against 25-26 seasons.

Still no excuse not to sign Jones for what would’ve been under <$14mil. Get an offer in early and might’ve had Jones on a 2yr X $23mil 50% guar type offer. Completely doable fiscal backup strategy. Here we had JJ or nothing. Not very wise in the contingency effort.

Here they had 2 options and struck out on both. Both options went on to plop 100% passer ratings. Plenty good enough for MN to get on a little comeback tour.
 
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milani

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Wow, this really shows the uphill battle that SF & GB faced even making the playoffs. Thanks for finding.
That is almost frightening. Mahommes could have been hurt even sooner and their season would have ended sooner. Tough to swallow.
 

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They tried to re-sign him. He wanted either too much or to move on. One has to remember this thing called the salary cap. He did sign for an average of $33 million a year, and I don't think the Vikings wanted to sign him for 3 more years with JJ being in the wings.
As far as Packer fans are concerned they did the right thing. I commend the Vikings.
 

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That’s accurate. I’m sure it came down to $$. Might’ve been flirting with a contract offer but we’re thinking $15mil area was about their max offer. I get that because any more would be a large chunk against 25-26 seasons.

Still no excuse not to sign Jones for what would’ve been under <$14mil. Get an offer in early and might’ve had Jones on a 2yr X $23mil 50% guar type offer. Completely doable fiscal backup strategy. Here we had JJ or nothing. Not very wise in the contingency effort.

Here they had 2 options and struck out on both. Both options went on to plop 100% passer ratings. Plenty good enough for MN to get on a little comeback tour.
In my mind, I never expected Daniel Jones to have a good season. So personally I consider that making a case from what happened in the future. Monday morning QB. Very hard for me to see not giving Darnold a contract though. And a better O line. Let JJ sit and trade or keep Darnold down the road. Well the GM did get fired. I wonder how much input the head coach had in all of that.
 
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Wow, this really shows the uphill battle that SF & GB faced even making the playoffs. Thanks for finding.
Not a coincidence that 4 of the leagues least $$ on IR were the 4 Championship contenders.

GB and SF49ers getting bounced and both on the highest $ Out on IR. Plus doesn’t even account for guys like Jacobs who had $$ tied to per game bonus and just toughed it out while injured.
 
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In my mind, I never expected Daniel Jones to have a good season. So personally I consider that making a case from what happened in the future. Monday morning QB. Very hard for me to see not giving Darnold a contract though. And a better O line. Let JJ sit and trade or keep Darnold down the road. Well the GM did get fired. I wonder how much input the head coach had in all of that.
That’s the same argument (Monday morning QBing) against Darnold. Yet while in some cases it’s a legit argument, imo it’s not an ideal argument here. We knew that Darnold and Jones were gone BEFORE the seaso. I recall A significant number of posters saying these logical things BEFORE game #1. It’s only logical if you walk your primary QB you do everything possible to lock a failsafe behind JJ. It’s an easy conclusion and that’s not some big “secret plan”

No here we have a clear Fail. Failing to plan Is planning to buy a 12 piece bucket of stupid with 2 family sized sides of nutzo and cinnamon idiot crisps for dessert. I felt like I got dumber just watching them eat it all.
 
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That’s the same argument against Darnold. A large portion of posters said if BEFORE game #1. It’s only logical if you walk your primary QB you do everything possible to lock a failsafe. It’s an easy conclusion and that’s not some big secret imo.
I have no idea what you just said.
 

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That is almost frightening. Mahommes could have been hurt even sooner and their season would have ended sooner. Tough to swallow.
The Chiefs have been in five of the last six Super Bowls and won three of them. That's more Super Bowls than we've won without going back to the Lombardi era. It's hard to feel sorry for them at this point.
 
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Raptorman

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That’s accurate. I’m sure it came down to $$. Might’ve been flirting with a contract offer but we’re thinking $15mil area was about their max offer. I get that because any more would be a large chunk against 25-26 seasons.

Still no excuse not to sign Jones for what would’ve been under <$14mil. Get an offer in early and might’ve had Jones on a 2yr X $23mil 50% guar type offer. Completely doable fiscal backup strategy. Here we had JJ or nothing. Not very wise in the contingency effort.

Here they had 2 options and struck out on both. Both options went on to plop 100% passer ratings. Plenty good enough for MN to get on a little comeback tour.
I don't think Jones ever even thought about staying. Here's a little tidbit. McCarthy's stats are almost Identical to Shedur Sanders. Does anyone want to explain how he made the Pro Bowl? At least McCarthy has a winning record.
 

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Vikings WR Justin Jefferson when asked about watching Darnold's success with the Seahawks:

“Yeah, for sure, definitely,” Jefferson said when asked if a part of him wished he could have run it back with Darnold. “Everyone knows the difficulty of the quarterback position this year, how we were dealt it. Having a quarterback that already had a season under his belt with us, knew the plays, knew the playbook, knew the players, throwing to me, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, all these guys, I definitely feel like we would have done better. But it is what it is, it’s on to newer and better things."
 

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Guess Jefferson hit his limit of being supportive of McCarthy. The QB you let go going to the Super Bowl will do that to you.
 

SudsMcBucky

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I think the worst nightmare scenario fur the Vikings is to see Darnold Win a Super Bowl. Can you imagine sending Jordan Love away and he goes to an NFC rival and wins a Super Bowl? Talk about creating an angry fan base.

I said it in here before the season. It just shocked me they didn’t resign Darnold for at least a year and develop JJ Coming off a lost season. Who lets their QB leave after 13-4 season? Had they kept Darnold? there’s a really good chance that The Vikings would’ve been in the playoffs or even knocked GB out. Even outside chance they Win the North with the way both GB and Detroit struggled. Instead they are in a serious QB dilemma.
I'm not sure if I'm remembering correctly, but for some reason, I thought there was no way they were going to be able to get him under their cap with the issues they had with that.
 

Pokerbrat2000

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Guess Jefferson hit his limit of being supportive of McCarthy. The QB you let go going to the Super Bowl will do that to you.
I'm guessing that Jefferson still supports McCarthy, his QB and teammate. However, if you read between the lines, JJ's window to prove himself to be a worthy starter is closing fast.
 

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The Vikes fired their GM, Kwesi Adopho-Mensa this morning, likely because of his botched '25 QB decisions. Let Darnold & Jones leave in free agency, not pursue AR, hand the reins to JJ - all against O'Connell's desires. QB was their GLARING weakness, so next GM will now have O'Connell in his ear over personnel decisions.
That darnold miss was cataclysmic. Lol.
 

Pkrjones

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Oh? Well that makes it a lot more digestible.
The Vikes were in cap hell for most of the 2020's, but had finally emerged from it in '25. Early summer they had almost $16mil cap available. Got their dead cap down to $27mil (from over $70mil in prior years) on 88 former players. Kwesi did well cleaning up the cap but neglected fielding a good team IF JJ failed. Too much riding on an unproven, inexperienced QB, imho.
 

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