Last season, the NFC North was the toughest division in football. The Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers all finished the year with 10+ wins and made the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Bears, that level of competition doesn't seem to be going away this season.
That said, some recent news about Minnesota’s new quarterback should provide Chicago some hope. After parting ways with Sam Darnold this offseason, the Vikings are turning to second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
While McCarthy is the future in Minnesota, not everyone is sold on him just yet. On Monday, Ross Tucker of CBS Sports joined Purple Daily, a Vikings podcast, and revealed what exactly went on during the early stages of the Vikings' offseason.
Tucker said, "No matter what the Vikings say about J.J. McCarthy...they wanted [Sam] Darnold back." He added, "And then when they weren't going to get Darnold back, they wanted Daniel Jones back... As much as they're 'sold' on J.J. McCarthy, they weren't that sold... so [the Vikings] have some doubt."
For Bears fans, this doubt surrounding a division rival's rookie quarterback is welcome news.
Ross Tucker Throws Major Shade at J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings
Tucker's comments on the Vikings quarterback situation shouldn't surprise Bears fans. Darnold had the best season of his career last year under Kevin O'Connell, so the thought of bringing him back made sense. On top of that, McCarthy is coming off a torn meniscus, which caused him to miss valuable practice reps as a rookie.
Even if the Vikings do believe in McCarthy as the long-term answer, throwing him out there right after a serious injury is a risk. Therefore, Tucker reporting that these were the internal conversations going on in Minnesota's building makes sense.
Nevertheless, these comments could provide Bears fans a whole new level of confidence entering the two franchises' Week 1 showdown in September.