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Eventually, the important details will be sorted out. But right now, J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner are still not signed with the Minnesota Vikings. They are two of five rookies from the first round who haven’t signed yet. The other three are Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze from the Chicago Bears, and Amarius Mims from the Cincinnati Bengals.
In short, it’s complicated.
The delay in signing these players has several reasons. First-round quarterbacks often have tricky contracts because of their high value and complex terms. Plus, the Vikings have more than one first-round pick to deal with. Another issue might be how the signing bonuses are paid—either all at once or in parts.
Training camp is coming up fast, and neither McCarthy nor Turner can join until they sign their contracts. This year is a big change for the team, so it’s crucial for General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to get these deals done quickly. Head Coach Kevin O’Connell would definitely appreciate having them on the field.
Why does everything with McCarthy seem to take forever?
Getting McCarthy and Turner signed before training camp isn’t just about paperwork; it’s about shaping the story around them. If they were already signed, this article wouldn’t even exist. “It’s all about controlling the narrative,” someone might say.
When it comes to Turner, it’s a bit of a mystery why he wasn’t picked earlier in the draft when he had top-10 potential. We’ll understand why eventually, but McCarthy’s situation is more puzzling. Despite his success at Michigan, he was seen as more of a project than a sure thing.
Michael Penix Jr., for example, is expected to sit on the bench for a while with my Atlanta Falcons but would likely start if drafted by another team. Other rookie quarterbacks like Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and Bo Nix will probably see early action. But McCarthy needs all the coaching he can get, which won’t happen until he’s officially part of the team.
This isn’t a crisis but being unsigned doesn’t help at all.
