NFL Exec Predicts the Rise of Sam Howell in Minnesota… and JJ McCarthy’s Demise?

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New Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Howell playing for the Seattle Seahawks
Credit: Casey Gower-Imagn Images

Last offseason, the Minnesota Vikings turned to Sam Darnold when they needed help at quarterback, following Kirk Cousins’ departure to Atlanta. This year, however, it was Darnold who needed replaced… just not as a starter.

With a healthy redshirt rookie JJ McCarthy ready to slide in at QB1, the Vikings were fixated on adding a quarterback who would more naturally slot in as a backup. After a couple months in QB2 limbo, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah traded for Sam Howell during the draft, solidifying the QB room for 2025.

In some ways, Howell does draw many parallels to Darnold, but are there any plausible scenarios where he actually plays meaningful snaps in 2025? Well, the most likely route to a Sam Howell appearance during the regular season is if JJ McCarthy — who missed all of 2024 with a torn meniscus — gets hurt again.

Anonymous NFL executive predicts disaster for JJ McCarthy… with a cherry on top

And believe it or not, there’s an anonymous NFL executive there who actually put those bad vibes onto the internet this week. In an article at The Athletic, NFL insider Mike Sando asked multiple anonymous front office executives for their opinion on the state of several different NFL teams.

When it came time to provide analysis for the Minnesota Vikings, the exec quoted in Sando’s piece projects that McCarthy will hurt himself again, forcing Kevin O’Connell to turn to Sam Howell… the QB whisperer head coach will then mold into “the next Sam Darnold”. Even Sano and the other anonymous exec feel uncomfortable with Exec 1’s prediction.

Exec 1: “You know what is going to happen? J.J. is going to get banged up, and Howell is going to walk in there and become the next Sam Darnold.”

Sando: Really?

Exec 2: “Stop. There’s no comparison. J.J. will be really good, and the coach (Kevin O’Connell) will make sure he is good.”

The Athletic (quotes via anonymous NFL executives)

Before we talk about Howell, and whether or not he is even capable of filling Sam Darnold’s shoes, let’s address the elephant in the room. I’m all about free speech in the USA, but if there’s one thing that should be illegal to put on the internet, it’s a JJ McCarthy injury prediction. Seriously, who does that?

Could Sam Howell be Sam Darnold if forced into action?

New Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Howell - NFL - Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks
Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Look, Sam Darnold had an excellent season that resulted in a Pro Bowl and 14 wins regular season wins. And even prior to landing in Minnesota, Darnold was drafted out of USC No. 3 overall, with sky-high potential that he just never reached.

Once Darnold got around Kevin O’Connell, QB coach Josh McCown, along with Justin Jefferson and the gang… he took off. Let’s not act like Sam Howell doesn’t have some untapped potential too, though. Yes, he slipped to the fifth round back in 2022. But Howell is only 24 years old and he already has 18 NFL starts under his belt.

And for most of his college career, Sam Howell was seen as a potential first-round pick. Hell, he set the school record at North Carolina for career passing yards (10,283) and touchdowns (92). He started at UNC as a freshman and his first two seasons were extremely productive.

  • 2019 (freshman): 3,614 yards, 61.4% comp. rate, 38 TD, 7 INT, 35 rush yards
  • 2020 (sophomore): 3,586 yards, 68.1% comp. rate, 30 TD, 7 INT, 145 rush yards, 5 TD

Related: MN Vikings’ Biggest Winners and Losers From 2025 NFL Draft

However, UNC lost several players to the NFL Draft before Howell’s junior (final) season in Chapel Hill. Top running backs Javonte Williams and Michael Carter were selected in the second and fourth rounds. The Tar Heels’ two leading receivers, Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome, were selected in the third and sixth rounds, respectively.

Losing that much star power didn’t just have a huge impact on North Carolina’s lack of success in 2021, it also sank Howell’s draft stock the next spring. His completion percentage dropped back down near his freshman season, without the yardage or TD production.

Junior season at UNC dropped Howell’s draft stock

One thing Howell did prove as a junior, that he had yet to in his first two seasons. He’s athletic. After rushing for under 200 yards and 5 total touchdowns in his first two seasons as a Tar Heel, Howell ran for 828 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final season.

  • 2021 (junior): 3,056 yards, 62.5% comp. rate, 24 TD, 9 INT, 828 rush yards, 11 TD

There’s a reason why Kevin O’Connell targeted Sam Howell. He has all the talent needed to be a really good quarterback. He just hasn’t been blessed in that area for years. Until now…

Howell has less than ideal size for an NFL QB, at 6-foot 5/8″, which also likely impacted his draft stock, yet he was still widely projected as a second-round pick. Meanwhile, another former second-round pick, Jalen Hurts, just won a Super Bowl for a stacked Eagles team and it’s not hard to see Howell’s arm talent.

The Minnesota Vikings feel their roster is good enough to compete with anyone, and Howell has the confidence to rip the ball all across the field. If he’s called upon, he just might capture the hearts of Vikings fans, just like another young quarterback named Sam did last season.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Post-Draft Power Rankings Say…

Yet, this is still just the backup plan because it is McCarthy’s job to lose. All things considered, the Vikings’ QB2 does have the upside to play the part of QB1, if necessary, but the Vikings hope they won’t have to break the emergency glass for the second year in a row.

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