The Minnesota Vikings can’t seem to catch a break lately. Their off-season got off to a rocky start when their offensive coordinator was arrested for drunk driving. Then, barely 24 hours ago, promising wide receiver Jordan Addison got popped for a DWI in California. That makes his second auto-related arrest in less than a year. Somehow, if that wasn’t bad enough, word has come out that problems persist regarding their 1st round pick, J.J. McCarthy. The young quarterback still hasn’t signed his rookie contract, and it appears he has no plans to do so.
According to Rickey, a prominent insider on Twitter (X) who broke the Trevor Lawrence extension news, things aren’t going well between the quarterback and his team. It appears the Vikings refused to guarantee his full signing bonus up front, and McCarthy is unwilling to bend on that.
As first reported last month, J.J. McCarthy is planning to hold out if he doesn’t receive his full signing bonus payment upfront #Skol#RickeyWasRighthttps://t.co/baS1kct6O0
The sticking point here is that the Vikings have never provided this to a draft pick before. They also haven't picked this early in years and this signing bonus ask is something top QB picks usually ask for (TLaw, Zach Wilson, Burrow, Stroud, Young all got it). Devon Witherspoon… https://t.co/JGgPQmC8eX
One can understand McCarthy’s stance. Other quarterbacks taken that high have gotten such guarantees, and he has every right to demand the same. The fact Minnesota is cheap is immaterial to him. It’s not like they have guaranteed him the starting job with all the rumors about Sam Darnold getting that nod.
This is simply another distraction the Minnesota Vikings don’t need.
They’re already dealing with the departure of Kirk Cousins. Prominent members of the organization are getting in trouble off the field. Now, the guy they supposedly believe is their future franchise quarterback is already at odds with the front office over a contract that should be routine. The best part is this wasn’t even the quarterback they originally wanted. Every rumor indicated they were desperate to get Drake Maye of North Carolina instead. McCarthy was the backup plan, and they traded up to get him.
Sooner or later, a deal will be worked out. The question is how long McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings are willing to stand their ground on this. Both sides have something to lose. McCarthy loses valuable practice time to learn the new offense. Minnesota will get some unwelcome attention from the press and increasing heat from the fans for bungling this situation. Considering the division that the team must contend with this year, the last thing they need is constant distractions.
