It always starts the same. A clipboard. A headset. A sideline view that might as well be a window seat to someone else’s destiny. But behind every backup quarterback’s calm posture is a ticking clock, and deep down, he knows it. One misstep from the starter. One bad knee twist. One flash of old ghosts. And the clipboard gets replaced by the football. In one Midwest city this spring, whispers are growing louder. Not about J.J. McCarthy, the golden boy projected to lead the franchise. But Sam Howell, the guy standing behind him—quiet, forgotten, familiar. The one execs now say might be next in line… to repeat a cautionary tale.
An NFL exec smirked to The Athletic’s Mike Sando, tossing a Molotov cocktail of hot takes into draft-season discourse. Cue the collective eye-roll from Minneapolis to Miami — because in the NFL, every understudy’s a potential leading man, and every hot take’s a future prophecy waiting to misfire.
“J.J. is going to get banged up, and Howell is going to walk in there and become the next Sam Darnold,” said the exec. Let’s rewind. Howell — Washington’s 2023 ironman (3,946 pass yds, 21 TDs, 21 INTs) — got traded twice in 14 months, landing in Minnesota as McCarthy’s backup. Now, execs whisper he’s “the next Sam Darnold,” which is either a compliment or a curse, depending on which Darnold you recall.
NFL Executives gave their unfiltered thoughts post-draft to @SandoNFL.
One executive thinks J.J. McCarthy is going to get banged up and Sam Howell is going to “become the next Sam Darnold”.
Outside of the McCarthy thought, executives were HIGH on the @Vikings taking OL Donovan… pic.twitter.com/jWfC26V5B4
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) May 2, 2025
The old Darnold? Jets-era ‘Ghosts’ guy with a 72.7 passer rating. The new Darnold? Vikings’ 2024 savior (4,319 yds, 35 TDs, 102.5 rating) who pulled a Lazarus in Vikings purple and landed a potential $100 million deal with the Seahawks this offseason.
Howell’s résumé reads like a Choose Your Own Adventure book. Fifth-round pick. Commanders’ sacrificial lamb behind a Swiss-cheese O-line. Now, he’s holding a clipboard for McCarthy, the 10th overall pick whose knee said “nah” to his rookie year. “I play with a fearless mindset,” Howell once declared, But in Minny? His job’s to be… patient. Or not.
McCarthy’s meteoric hype train: Built different or built to break?
Meanwhile, McCarthy’s rehabbing like Rocky pre-Creed fight. The Michigan maestro (27–1 as a starter, natty champ) tore his meniscus preseason in his rookie year but still has the Vikings brass gushing. “He’ll be really good,” an exec insists, “and the coach will make sure of it.” Translation: Kevin O’Connell’s scheming like Ozark’s Marty Byrde — every play’s a money move.
Minnesota’s all-in on McCarthy. They drafted Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson (“versatile as a Swiss Army knife,” per scouts) and Georgia WR Tai Felton, a 4.37-speed “gunner” who “doesn’t look fast till he is.” It’s a supporting cast built for a QB who’s equal parts golden arm and grit. But as Ballers’ Spencer Strasmore warned: ‘In this business, you’re either a shark or a minnow.’ McCarthy’s gotta prove he’s Jaws.
Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) passes against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota’s QB history is a rollercoaster. Brett Favre’s Wrangler jeans era. Kirk Cousins’ “You like that?!” mic drop. Now, a rookie with a bionic knee and a backup with something to prove. Howell’s no stranger to chaos — he once escaped a sack like Ethan Hunt, spinning into a 40-yard dime during a Commanders preseason game. But in the NFC North? Chaos is the curriculum.
Darnold’s 2024 revival — 14 wins, Pro Bowl nod — proves Minnesota’s QB rehab program works. But Howell’s 2023 tape? A Rorschach test. Those 21 picks sting, but so did Josh Allen’s early woes. “I’ve gotta do a better job,” Howell admitted last year, sounding more Ted Lasso than T.O. The question isn’t if he’ll play — it’s when.
Here’s the kicker: McCarthy’s contract ($21.85M guaranteed) buys patience. Howell’s $1.1M salary? It’s a prove-it deal. But in the NFL, scripts flip faster than a flea-flicker. Remember when Darnold was a Panthers punchline? Now he’s Seattle’s $100M man.
So, will Howell “pull a Darnold”? Maybe. Or maybe McCarthy’s the second coming of Joe Burrow, knee brace and all. Either way, Minnesota’s QB room’s a Westworld maze — every path’s a twist. As Howell said: “I’m not scared of anybody.” Good. Because in this game, fear’s the real loser’s curse.
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