The Minnesota Vikings can probably bring Sam Darnold back to the team, though only if he is willing to take a little less than market value.

Should the Vikings pay Darnold after his (mostly) excellent season? Or should they go with McCarthy and spend that money at other positions?

That was before quarterback guru Kevin O'Connell arrived in Minnesota. He's made the Vikings a dream destination for any quarterback looking for a change of scenery, including Fields, who named Minnesota one of his four preferred destinations in a trade last year.

There are plenty of really good reasons why the Vikings should do the opposite of what the insider thinks will happen.

McCarthy has undergone two knee surgeries, repairing a torn meniscus that knocked him out for the season. The former national championship-winning passer, however, is back on the field doing QB drills, Adofo-Mensah said ( via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert ), with the GM indicating the 2024 No. 10 overall pick is on schedule.

The Vikings general manager told reporters Thursday that Darnold is among the “good options” the Vikings have at quarterback while adding that J.J. McCarthy has returned to on-field training.

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah did not say much when asked about the team's upcoming decision to make on QB Sam Darnold.

The Minnesota Vikings have a decision to make at quarterback this offseason, but it looks like Sam Darnold could command a contract in free agency that makes it easy to move on to first-round pick J.J.