Minnesota Vikings player under most pressure will surprise you

When projecting ahead to the 2024 season for the Minnesota Vikings , there is a lot of intrigue. With that intrigue comes pressure, as head coach Kevin O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah enter their third year with the organization.

When it comes to feeling the pressure, nobody is feeling it quite like quarterback Sam Darnold who is on his fourth team in seven seasons. Pro Football Network's Lorenzo Reyna is of the same belief.

Darnold has managed to stay in the league for seven seasons after being selected third overall, but he’s never stayed healthy in any of those campaigns. The Vikings, even with rookie J.J. McCarthy on board, present his fourth and potentially final NFL chance as a starting quarterback.

It's going to be interesting to see how Darnold plays in O'Connell's scheme. It's somewhat similar to what he played in last season with the San Francisco 49ers. During that campaign, Darnold started one game and threw for 297 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. It was his best campaign since coming into the league, which also happened to be his best situation.

Darnold arguably comes into the best situation in the National Football League with the best wide receiver in the National Football League in Justin Jefferson, other great pass catchers and bookend tackles that are among the best in the NFL.

If Darnold thrives, it can save his NFL career. If he doesn't, that could spell the end of it as rookie J.J. McCarthy is waiting in the wings. That's a pressure which is difficult to deal with.

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