ESPN Analyst Makes Bold Statement on Kevin O’Connell’s Risky QB Decision as Vikings Kick Off New Season

Known for a highly influential and outspoken approach towards any sport, Stephen A. Smith sometimes delivers provocative and even fiery takes when it comes to analysis. This time, HC Kevin O’Connell‘s quarterback decisions have sparked some discussions among spectators, including the 57-year-old. Smith, ESPN’s host for First Take, has voiced his opinion on the Minnesota Vikings and has turned up the heat once again in his show.

“I’m going to go with him because of O’Connell,” Smith said. This is the quarterback whisperer, right? Sam Donald was playing for you last year. That man threw 35 touchdowns, OK? 35 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, over 4,300 yards, and you let him walk out the door. Why’d you let him walk out the door? Why didn’t you pursue Aaron Rodgers? Because of some rookie from Michigan who was the first top 10 quarterback drafted that never threw for 3,000 yards in a season, never rushed for more than 500 yards in a season.” He raised doubts over O’Connell’s QB decision to pick J.J. McCarthy as the starting quarterback over experienced players like Sam Darnold and Aaron Rodgers.

The decision came following McCarthy’s rookie year, which was wiped out due to a torn meniscus injury. This was the time when O’Connell was grinding him behind the scenes the whole time. Even when McCarthy could not join the training camp, there were some serious investments by the head coach through one-on-one meetings. “Your job is to just fight through the down with the possession of football,” Kevin O’Connell told J.J. McCarthy during a teaching moment this week. Instead of solely sticking to Darnold or bringing another veteran, he bet on McCarthy’s long-term development. By this offseason and camp, Kevin O’Connell clearly believed that McCarthy was ready, and that was the time when he locked him as the starter. But Darnold’s exclusion did raise some eyebrows.

He finally showed out with the Vikings in the 2024 season by appearing in all 17 games and putting a total of 4319 yards and 35 touchdowns through the air. His completion success rate was 66.2% and he even managed to score a 97-yard TD pass with his longest throw of the season. On the ground, he added 212 yards and a rushing score. Defensively, he even got credited with a couple of tackles, which is always funny, seeing a QB on the defensive sheet scoring some points. Nevertheless, 2024 was actually his best year, and he was a reliable starter for whom his number actually backed it up. But O’Connell went with the young quarterback, resulting in frustration for many, including Smith.

Vikings’ roster shakeup and Kevin O’Connell’s ‘QB magic’ doubtful in playoffs

Did the Vikings fix all their roster issues? Trading away Mekhi Blackmon after that ACL injury kept him out of the entire 2024 season wasn’t a big loss. But this has now left a vacuum with just 4 cornerbacks on their 53-man roster. But GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah did say they have some backup plan. Fabian Moreau is part of the practice, and they might need more defensive backs. With the clash against the Chicago Bears on September 8, we will soon find out if they did enough on the roster or not.

While analysts like Stephen A. Smith are expressing their displeasure at the decision, some fans are eager to see McCarthy on the gridiron. Some are even hyped to see his NFL debut. He’s got a weapon-like offense with Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson on the side, while a solid backfield with Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. With that setup, he has got the fans and the Vikings camp pretty hyped up. Sure, he is going to have a learning curve, but we might witness some greatness from him, like hitting that 4,500 yards and 30-plus touchdowns mark that is only done by 21 players in the league, per StatMuse. This will take him past the former Vikings QB, Sam Darnold.

In the preseason, McCarthy returned to action after 365 days and recorded a 57% completion rate with no touchdowns. So, as O’Connell always finds a way to keep the team competitive, his biggest strength here will be to get the most out of his QBs. Something which he has been doing from the start, it doesn’t matter who is under the centre. He always finds a way to make them look good. This is why he has rightfully earned himself the name “Quarterback Whisperer“. He always manages to get the best out of whoever is taking the snaps. And now he is banking on McCarthy!