Vikings' Sam Darnold to start preseason opener vs. Raiders

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold will start Saturday's preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders before turning the keys over to rookie J.J. McCarthy, coach Kevin O'Connell said Thursday. "Sam Darnold will start the game and then we will transition to J.J. McCarthy for what I'm very, very excited to see a significant amount of work," O'Connell said. "Really see him hopefully apply a lot of the things that he has been doing really well, just as Sam has, every day in practice." Quarterback Jaren Hall is expected to finish the game for Minnesota. Per O'Connell, the "majority" of the team's players will play against the Raiders -- although he said star wideout Justin Jefferson and safety Harrison Smith likely will sit out. The Vikings responded to the departure of Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons by signing Darnold and selecting J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. The New York Jets made Darnold the third overall selection of the 2018 NFL Draft before giving up on him after three seasons, sending him to the Carolina Panthers in a trade before the 2021 season for three draft picks, the highest a second-rounder. After two seasons in Carolina, Darnold signed as a free agent with the San Francisco 49ers and backed up Brock Purdy in 2023. Darnold, 27, has a 21-35 record as a starter, completing 59.7 percent of his passes for 12,064 yards with 63 touchdowns and 56 interceptions. McCarthy, 21, led Michigan to a national championship in January. Minnesota opens the 2024 season on Sept. 8 against the New York Giants in East Rutherford, N.J. --Field Level Media