Minnesota Vikings' Kevin O'Connell has a plan for quarterbacks during preseason opener

The Minnesota Vikings kick off their preseason schedule against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, August 10th. Kevin O’Connell has some decisions regarding playing time during the three-week exhibition period.

When asked on Tuesday afternoon during his press conference about his expectations and plans for Sam Darnold and the quarterback room during the preseason, O’Connell teased the media by saying, “I have a very clear-cut plan of how we are going to handle the playing time of our entire team. See you guys later.” O’Connell would then walk off the podium laughing with media members as he decided not to unveil his current objectives for the quarterback room for the preseason opener next weekend.

There is a bit of uncertainty regarding the Vikings preseason quarterback situation simply because Kirk Cousins is no longer around. Cousins was the obvious starter in his tenure with purple and gold, so there was no reason or need for him ever to play preseason football. With Cousins now in Atlanta, the Vikings are having a quarterback competition for all three spots on the depth chart, precisely the starting job between the veteran Darnold and rookie J.J McCarthy .

There isn’t much to read into with O’Connell’s comments other than him not wanting to give away details on his plan for the preseason opener. It would be likely that all four quarterbacks, including Darnold, get some playing time during the preseason while they try to perfect the nuances of the Vikings offense.