The Minnesota Vikings' 2025 season was defined by a quarterback carousel that never quite found its rhythm - and now, in the aftermath, we’re starting to hear how that turbulence was felt inside the locker room.
On Thursday afternoon, Vikings running back Aaron Jones offered a rare, candid glimpse into the mindset of Minnesota’s players last offseason. Sitting down on Super Bowl media row in San Francisco with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson on the Nightcap show, Jones didn’t mince words when asked how things might’ve looked if Sam Darnold had stayed in Minnesota.
“Last year, we only lost to two teams, the Rams and twice to the Lions,” Jones said. “I felt like we had everything we needed, but we’re not GMs - that’s outside of us. When you’ve got a group of guys behind a quarterback, and he wants to stay somewhere, I think you should try to make it work.”
That wasn’t just a throwaway comment. It was a subtle but unmistakable signal that inside the Vikings’ locker room, there was real belief in Darnold - and real disappointment when the front office chose a different direction.
The Quarterback Pivot That Changed Everything
Let’s rewind for a moment. The Vikings’ decision to move on from Sam Darnold and hand the reins to rookie JJ McCarthy was one of the most talked-about moves of the 2025 offseason.
It was bold, it was risky, and ultimately, it didn’t pan out the way leadership had hoped. Minnesota fell short of expectations, and the fallout has already started - most notably with the firing of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
But what we hadn’t heard until now was how the players felt about the decision. Jones’ comments offer a window into that internal dynamic.
For a team that felt like it was on the cusp - with a strong core, a high-powered offense, and a defense that could hold its own - the switch at quarterback wasn’t just a change. It was a gamble that many inside the building weren’t necessarily on board with.
A Veteran’s Balancing Act
To be clear, Aaron Jones has done everything you’d expect from a veteran leader. All season long, he’s been in JJ McCarthy’s corner - publicly supporting the rookie, praising his growth, and emphasizing the team’s long-term potential.
When McCarthy stepped into the huddle in Week 1 and delivered his now-famous “Is there anywhere else you’d rather be?” speech, Jones was the first to talk it up to the media. And just earlier this week, he continued to express confidence in the young quarterback’s future.
“We feel like we have all the pieces we need,” Jones said. “JJ is going to continue to develop, and we’re just going to continue to get better. We were one game short - there’s a lot of ball left out for us to play.”
That’s the tightrope leaders like Jones often walk: supporting the present while still acknowledging what could’ve been. And on Thursday, he finally peeled back the curtain just enough to show that, yes, there was a strong push internally to “run it back” with Darnold.
A Missed Opportunity?
Darnold may not be a franchise quarterback in the traditional sense, but his 2024 campaign with the Vikings earned him respect in that locker room. He had command, poise, and - perhaps most importantly - the trust of his teammates. And when a quarterback has that kind of buy-in from the guys around him, it’s not something you toss aside lightly.
Jones’ comments suggest that the locker room wasn’t just content with Darnold - they were ready to go to war with him again. That kind of chemistry, that kind of belief, is rare. And when it’s lost, it can take a long time to rebuild.
The Bigger Picture
The Vikings’ ownership, led by the Wilf family, reportedly consulted with players, coaches, and front office staff before making the decision to part ways with Adofo-Mensah. It’s fair to wonder if Jones’ perspective - and similar sentiments from other team leaders - played a role in that move. When the people in the building feel like their voices aren’t being heard, it’s only a matter of time before changes come.
Now, with a new GM on the way and McCarthy still developing, the Vikings are at a crossroads. They’ve got talent.
They’ve got leadership. But they also have a critical decision to make about how they want to build around their young quarterback - and whether the rest of the locker room is ready to follow that path.
For now, Aaron Jones’ comments serve as a reminder that the decisions made in front offices don’t just live on whiteboards and draft boards. They ripple through locker rooms, they shape seasons, and sometimes, they cost people their jobs.