After letting veteran quarterback Kirk Cousin walk in NFL free agency recently, who ultimately signed with the Atlanta Falcons to become their new starter under center, the Minnesota Vikings were aggressive in the 2024 NFL Draft in their efforts to bring in a rookie quarterback.

Although the Vikings weren’t able to trade up to grab one of the three top quarterback prospects, like Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye, Minnesota was able to trade up one spot in order to land a proven winner in J.J. McCarthy out of the University of Michigan.

Before the team brought in McCarthy in the draft, the team addressed the quarterback position in free agency by signing veteran journeyman Sam Darnold, who many believed at the time would get another chance to start.

Although Darnold will likely be the starter under center come Week 1 on the road against the New York Giants, some believe McCarthy will eventually get the nod to start later in the season, namely Week 12 against the Arizona Cardinals.

According to Ben Goessling and Rand Ball of Access Vikings, McCarthy will likely start against the Cardinals, Falcons, and Chicago Bears via The Purple Persuasion.

Per @BenGoessling and @RandBall via @AccessVikings, given how the schedule is laid out, they both believe #Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy will likely start week 12 with the 3-game homestand against the #Cardinals, #Falcons, and #Bears

They both also fully expect a McCarthy vs. Kirk… pic.twitter.com/dNirhsQqfZ

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) May 19, 2024

Obviously, anything can happen during an NFL regular season, with Darnold potentially showing he’s worthy of being the starter as he tries to resurrect his career.

However, the pressure will be on the former USC star immediately, as the Vikings will likely want to see McCarthy on the field sooner rather than later, which makes for an interesting 2024 campaign for Minnesota.

The post Vikings Insiders Have A Strong Belief On When J.J. McCarthy Will Start appeared first on The Cold Wire.