Training Camp Concerns

About a week ago, the most significant training camp concern for the Minnesota Vikings was probably the play of the quarterbacks behind young starter J.J. McCarthy. At the start of the offseason, there was a clear plan to provide veteran quarterbacking insurance for McCarthy as he returned from the knee injury that wiped out his rookie season. The Vikings were going to check the salary expectations of 2024 starter Sam Darnold and then re-sign Daniel Jones. At least, that’s how I saw the Vikings offseason quarterback plan. Unfortunately it didn’t play out that way. Darnold was always going to move on to a nice payday. The surprise came when Jones decided that competing for a starting job with the Indianapolis Colts was a more appealing option than staying in Minnesota as a backup to McCarthy. As a backup plan for the backup quarterback role, the Vikings acquired Sam Howell from the Seattle Seahawks in a draft day trade. Fine. Entering his fourth season, he qualifies as a veteran. With a season as a starter with a poor Washington Commanders team, he qualifies as experienced. The Vikings entered training camp with a very young quarterback room. 

J.J. McCarthy 

Sam Howell

Brett Rypien

Max Brosmer

That’s quite a change from the room at the end of the 2024 season.

Sam Darnold

Nick Mullens 

Daniel Jones

Brett Rypien

J.J. McCarthy - injured

There are always quarterback concerns when a team enters training camp and a season with a starting quarterback with zero starts. Not only has J.J. McCarthy not started a game, he’s thrown zero regular season passes. As a group, the Vikings quarterbacks have a combined 22 regular season starts. Fine. That can happen when a team enters an era with a young, new quarterback. McCarthy has been fine and often much better through his first training camp as the Vikings unquestioned starter. He hasn’t been the training camp concern. The play of the backup quarterbacks has been the concern. The Vikings defense has often overwhelmed the offense in practice. That’s been part of the problem but it didn’t lessen the concern. The main take away from the play of the backup quarterbacks was the hope that McCarthy stays on the field. 

What a difference a preseason game and a joint practice make. Sam Howell played well against the Houston Texans in Saturday’s preseason game and continued that level of play into yesterday’s joint practice with the New England Patriots. Even undrafted rookie Max Brosmer is now playing like a quarterback with an NFL future. While his stats didn’t match those of Howell and Brosmer against the Texans, Brett Rypien’s play has been much improved over the past week. 

If for no other reason than inexperience, there will be concerns with young quarterbacks until there aren’t. Despite that, the worries that were a daily presence through the first few weeks of training camp have lessened. 

While the quarterback concerns might not be what they were only a week ago, the Vikings have still have some training camp concerns. (in no particular order)

1. Returns

Improving returns and the resulting field position was an offseason priority. It was a concern even before punt return favorite Rondale Moore suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Texans. Third-round rookie receiver Tai Felton is probably the favorite to return kicks. Moore’s injury might’ve pushed him to the front of the punt return competition. Fellow receivers Lucky Jackson, Silas Bolden, and Myles Price are also contenders. Hopefully, a returner that can consistently tilt field position emerges. 

2. Receiver

Receiver is a concern due to the three games that Jordan Addison will miss due to his suspension. Justin Jefferson will be back from the hamstring issue that’s kept him out nearly all of training camp. That will alleviate many of the concerns. While Addison missing three games isn’t ideal, the Vikings will adapt. Jefferson, Jalen Nailor, T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver, the running backs, a running attack will all step up. Addison missed 2.5 of the first three games last season and the Vikings adapted and won all three games. This isn’t the concern that many are making it. 

3. Injuries

Injuries will always be a concern in football. The moment you stop worrying about injuries in football is the moment you stop watching football. The Vikings decision-makers have done a good job the last three years in rebuilding this roster to a fairly deep one. The Vikings have already seen four players placed on injured reserve or waived with injury designations. There are players the Vikings can’t afford to lose (McCarthy, Jefferson, Darrisaw, Kelly, Greenard, Cashman, Murphy, etc.). There are positions that can’t be hit with more than a couple of injuries. All teams are in this situation. The teams with the best injury luck are often the teams playing in late January and February. 

4. Punting

This is more of a competition than a concern. Ryan Wright vs Oscar Chapman might be the most intriguing competition still raging. Well, punting or punt returns. This competition might come down to how it impacts the place kicking battery. Wright is the experienced and accomplished holder. If he can equal Wright’s place in the battery, Chapman might be the Vikings new punter.