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.

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

The Professional Football Writers of America have named Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold the NFL's Most Improved Player of the Year.

Fields played out the final season of his four-year, $19 million rookie contract in 2024, going 4-2 as the Steelers' starter before the team replaced him with Russell Wilson. For his career, Fields has thrown for nearly 7,800 yards, 45 touchdowns and 31 interceptions while rushing the football for 2,509 yards and 19 scores.

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.

Darnold is among five finalists for the AP Comeback Player Of the Year award. It was the first time in his seven-year career that Darnold was put in a position to start and succeed. The former No. 3-overall pick was traded to the Carolina Panthers after three up-and-down seasons with the New York Jets.

The Minnesota Vikings got an exceptional year from Sam Darnold and he's starting to win awards for his performance.