Vikings’ Justin Jefferson admits being impressed by Sam Darnold after JJ McCarthy was ruled out on rookie season

Vikings' WR Justin Jefferson revealed being surprised by Sam Darnold’s arm strength after JJ McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury.

Vikings’ Justin Jefferson admits being impressed by Sam Darnold after JJ McCarthy was ruled out on rookie season

Justin Jefferson admits being impressed by Sam Darnold (Via Imago/Yahoo Sports)

While the Minnesota Vikings repeatedly asserted not to put the pressure on the starting role this early on rookie JJ McCarthy, there appears a possibility that sooner or later– the team will definitely try him out on the football field. However, the quarterback ended up suffering an ill fate after sustaining a season-ending injury and confirming Sam Darnold’s position at the start. 

Although the Vikings had already picked Darnold as the starting, they knew they had a capable player such as McCarthy as the backup. But since his injury, the team has relied on Darnold for the entire offense, which compelled The Athletic’s Dianna Russini to ask Justin Jefferson about Darnold’s performance. 

YouTube video

The star wide receiver was mainly asked if he was surprised by the former USC alum, who is known for his notable arm strength. Jefferson was indeed surprised! 

FS Video
Yes, very surprising. This is my first time really being around Sam, having him throw to me. To see the balls that he throws, especially the go balls, the deep balls that he throws, it was right in the hands. It feels like a soft pillow. He's been doing a great job, just, you know, trying to learn and try to… build that chemistry with the whole team.
Justin Jefferson said

After losing Kirk Cousins– first to an ACL injury in the 2023 season and then to the Atlanta Falcons this offseason, the Vikings are entering the 2024 season with an entirely different strategy and offensive play. This makes Darnold’s performance crucial for them since it would determine their season standing until McCarthy is ready to get over on the football. 

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Sam Darnold’s fantasy football outlook

While quarterback Darnold continues to make his place in the eyes of fans, his name is bouncing in the fantasy football world as a risky one to go forward with. Going forward, if the Vikings strategize the offense in a way that the starting quarterback also contributes as a rusher, there’s a high chance his value in fantasy football will increase. 

Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold (via Imago)

During his time in the league, Darnold has performed inadequately as a passer making it more crucial for the Vikings to strategize the offense to obtain productivity from him. It is worth noting that he logged 63 passing touchdowns and a large count of 56 interceptions. 

Though the quarterback is working on his game, Darnold will have a strong offensive power behind him, including names like Jefferson, who is arguably the top receiver in the league followed by Jordan Addison and the running back duos of Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler.

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