The Minnesota Vikings can probably bring Sam Darnold back to the team, though only if he is willing to take a little less than market value.

There’s two years difference in the ages of “Goosebumps: The Vanishing” stars Jayden Bartels and Sam McCarthy. That was a small enough gap between them that they could play twins in the new season of the anthology series based on the popular R.L. Stine books.

Should the Vikings pay Darnold after his (mostly) excellent season? Or should they go with McCarthy and spend that money at other positions?

That was before quarterback guru Kevin O'Connell arrived in Minnesota. He's made the Vikings a dream destination for any quarterback looking for a change of scenery, including Fields, who named Minnesota one of his four preferred destinations in a trade last year.

"I would say most likely, he's played his final game in Minnesota," Schultz said on The Herd. In the caption he posted with the video of the segment, he said he has "a hard time seeing (Darnold) back in Minnesota" and that "J.J. McCarthy is the future."

McCarthy has undergone two knee surgeries, repairing a torn meniscus that knocked him out for the season. The former national championship-winning passer, however, is back on the field doing QB drills, Adofo-Mensah said ( via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert ), with the GM indicating the 2024 No. 10 overall pick is on schedule.

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah did not say much when asked about the team's upcoming decision to make on QB Sam Darnold.

But I can't sit here and tell you I know anything for certain." Sam Darnold (14) was set to be a short-term bridge to J.J. McCarthy, but a season-ending McCarthy injury and largely spectacular ...

J.J. McCarthy's rookie season didn't go the way he planned after the Minnesota Vikings quarterback suffered a knee injury in the preseason, but there

In his breakdown of the top 50 free agents available this offseason, ESPN's Matt Bowen ranks Darnold at No. 6, some 26 spots ahead of the next QB on the list (Pittsburgh's Justin Fields, which underscores just how barren this market is under center). He then estimates that Darnold could receive something in the nine figures:

Lastly, the Cowboys have agreed to terms with one of their cornerstone staffers on an extension. VP of player personnel Will McClay is sticking around on a multiyear deal, Archer reports. This is not especially surprising, as McClay has been choosey with his GM interviews in recent years and is now in his third decade with the Cowboys.

The Minnesota Vikings are keeping an eye on J.J. McCarthy’s rehab as he recovers from a torn meniscus that ended his rookie season before it ever began. How he continues to progress will determine how the Vikings answer the most pertinent question about the most important position.