Darnold serves as a benchmark for rookie trajectory; Brady’s message reframes that the path to similar success is long, underscoring patience for McCarthy and tempering speculative fantasy projections.

Darnold joined Minnesota as a mentor behind McCarthy, providing veteran presence and depth. His leadership could stabilize the rookie’s growth and help safeguard the offense’s rhythm, potentially boosting McCarthy’s late-game resilience and freeing McCarthy to take calculated risks with less pressure.

Darnold is cited as the cautionary tale of premature bust labels, as Jets drafted him No.3 in 2018 and later found a career-year with Minnesota in 2024, illustrating how a fresh setting and coaching can unlock a QB’s potential. The piece frames Fields similarly, hinting at how the right environment could alter his trajectory.

Darnold’s resurgence lands him as a top fantasy QB7 last year, a peak many thought unreachable given prior inconsistencies. The Vikings' scheme under O’Connell is cited as the catalyst, making him a prime target for 2025 value plays, particularly when paired with Jefferson, Addison, and Hockenson in stacked formats.

Darnold’s Vikings stint is framed as a cautionary tale: a talent with a high ceiling when supported by a design-forward offense, but one whose ceiling hasn’t translated consistently to fantasy glory. The text uses Darnold’s pre-Vikings numbers to contextualize the potential swing of McCarthy’s rookie season, highlighting the risk and the upside of Minnesota’s offensive design.