Sam Darnold listed as Vikings starting QB over JJ McCarthy on depth chart

Read into this how you want — the Vikings placed Sam Darnold over JJ McCarthy on the team’s first depth chart of the preseason.

The Vikings issued the depth chart, which it deemed “unofficial,” days before their preseason opener against the Raiders which is set for Saturday afternoon in Minnesota.

Both Darnold and McCarthy are new to the Vikings as Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell tries to replace Kirk Cousins, who left for the Falcons in free agency. Two weeks into training camp, Darnold is QB1, but then again, he has far more experience than McCarthy, the rookie whom the Vikings selected with the 10th pick of April’s NFL Draft.

In fact, McCarthy has an “or” by his name with Nick Mullens. Jaren Hall would then be fourth string. Both Mullens and Hall started games with the Vikings last season after Cousins ruptured his Achilles.

Superstar Justin Jefferson working with both Vikings QBs

The first-team quarterback gets to throw to Justin Jefferson, one of the best receivers in the NFL. The Vikings are paying him like he’s the best. Minnesota made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history earlier this summer, signing him to a contract worth $35 million a year.

Jefferson recently assessed both Darnold and McCarthy.

“They’re both different types of quarterbacks,” Jefferson told reporters last week. “Sam is more of a vet quarterback, he likes to put touch on the ball here and there, he knows what speed he needs to throw the ball and how he needs to throw the ball. J.J.’s still young and just wants to rip it all the time. (He) has that strong arm and wants to get it there.”

Darnold, the former USC star, also has the experience over McCarthy. The Jets selected him with the third pick of the 2018 draft. He started the season opener in his rookie season. And at age 21, he became the youngest quarterback to start an opener since the NFL-AFL merger. He stayed a starter through three seasons with the Jets, then two with the Panthers. He spent last season with the 49ers backing up Brock Purdy.

McCarthy took some first team reps last week

O’Connell sent McCarthy in with the first team to get a few reps at the end of last week. The Vikings coach also indicated the depth chart is likely fluid.

“I definitely don’t want to be in a world where anybody shows up to this building every day thinking they’ve got a ceiling, you know, a time stamp on them of what the expectations are,” O’Connell told reporters. “The expectations are to come in here, and, you know, be on a daily mission to be the best version of JJ McCarthy, of Sam Darnold, of Aaron Jones, of Justin Jefferson. And that’s the challenge that I think we’ve gotten these players to really understand.”