The Minnesota Vikings are entering the 2024 season in what feels like a bit of a transitional year. They lost starting quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency, opting to restart at the position.
In the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, they selected Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy to be their signal caller of the future. Unfortunately, we won’t see him this season as he suffered a season-ending injury.
That will thrust Sam Darnold into the unquestioned starting role. He has a lot of talent surrounding him to work with, as the Vikings have done a good job of keeping their skill positions stacked.
At wide receiver, Minnesota has Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Tight end T.J. Hockenson is recovering from last season’s injury and the team signed running back Aaron Jones in free agency to provide a spark in the backfield after last season’s uninspiring effort.
Will that be enough for them to take some steps forward? Based on the projections shared by Seth Walder of ESPN , it won’t even be close.
The Vikings don’t sniff the postseason. Instead, they finished with the worst record in football, landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“There was hope, back in the halcyon days of September, that quarterback Sam Darnold would finally figure it out after spending the 2023 season with Kyle Shanahan before playing in Kevin O’Connell’s scheme in 2024. How naïve we were. Darnold did not, in fact, figure it out. The Minnesota Vikings’ offense crumbled while the rest of the league came up with adjustments to defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ relentless blitzes.
The result? A paltry four-win season. But with the losing came hope in the form of the No. 1 overall pick. With their quarterback already in hand — J.J. McCarthy is the QB of the future here, despite his right meniscus tear — the Vikings enter the offseason in position to deal the No. 1 pick to a QB-needy team for a series of selections that will bolster the roster for an immediate turnaround. The present is bleak in Minnesota, but the future is bright,” Walder wrote.
While that regular season performance will be disappointing, there is a positive spin that can be taken from this. Because they don’t need a quarterback, the Minnesota Vikings could be in a position to land an incredible trade package.
Several teams finished right behind them in the standings that could have an interest in making a trade up to the No. 1 pick for a quarterback. The New York Giants are a prime candidate, as another losing season likely spells the end of Daniel Jones.
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The post Minnesota Vikings Receive Brutal Prediction for 2024 Season appeared first on NFL Analysis Network .
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