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Thank you to everyone who has sent in their thoughts and prayers on behalf of Khyree Jackson, his two former teammates who also perished in the July 6 car accident in Maryland and their family members. It was not surprising to see that showing of support.

The Vikings organization last Thursday also sent out condolences to the family of former assistant coach Monte Kiffin, who left an indelible mark on football. Kiffin passed away at age 84, just a couple weeks after he was presented with an Award of Excellence from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

On a much happier note, I'd like to wish the Edina Hornets 18U girls flag football team good luck this week at a tournament hosted by the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The team practiced at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center on Friday as part of a send-off event.

We're a week away from the first Vikings players reporting to training camp and less than a month from the first Gjallarhorn of 2024, which will be sounded when Minnesota opens its preseason slate against Las Vegas on Aug. 10.

With Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy getting reps in a new offensive system for both, were there any indications from [the offseason program] at who has acclimated more to the starting role?

Thanks and SKOL!!

— J. Pettit in Greenville, South Carolina

Shoutout to Greenville, South Carolina, and the Upstate. My wife and I got married in Greenville 17 years ago and spent the first couple of years of our marriage in nearby Spartanburg. Some of our favorite people are still there.

We know that Darnold was consistently taking reps with the No. 1s (although Head Coach Kevin O'Connell made sure to sprinkle in a few for McCarthy).

We also know that O'Connell closed the offseason program saying Darnold would open training camp as the starter. The coach and former QB also de-emphasized his players worrying about depth charts that won't be released for quite some time.

When Kyle Rudolph was participating in a media interview before the Minnesota Vikings Foundation's Golf Tournament last month, it came up that he had a different Week 1 starting quarterback in seven of his first eight seasons.

2011: Donovan McNabb

2012: Christian Ponder

2013: Christian Ponder

2014: Matt Cassel

2015: Teddy Bridgewater

2016: Shaun Hill

2017: Sam Bradford

2018: Kirk Cousins

With so much turnover at the sport's most important position, it's kind of hard to believe the Vikings were competing for — or earning — playoff spots many times during that run.

Cousins provided quarterback continuity that frankly escaped the Vikings for the better part of that decade (and really for a considerable part of the organization's history).

O'Connell and others know the value of having continuity at the position — and knew it long before 2023 when the team had to start four different QBs for the first time in franchise history.

Structure, offensive systems and talent around a quarterback can also be incredibly important.

Darnold looked comfortable in this system, and he's excited about the skill players and offensive linemen who will be in the huddle.

O'Connell and Darnold can build on their prior experiences in the NFL, and McCarthy can learn from each as he develops and grows in this system. Everyone has a learning curve of some type, but Darnold and McCarthy can continue to learn together as camp progresses.

Both are highly competitive and want to make the most of the opportunities in front of them.

There will be plenty of reps to go around during training camp, and I'm sure there will be plenty of attention focused on the quarterbacks in recapping the practice sessions and progressing through the preseason. I'm also sure that some of the evaluating factors will remain between the coaching staff.

In the June 24 Mailbag that featured Daunte Culpepper, the Vikings Legend explained how he prepared every day as if he were the starter, even though that opportunity didn't occur for the 1999 first-round pick until 2000.

Has there ever been another QB in history to win [36] games in high school with only 2 lost. In college, 27 wins and 1 loss, setting school record 72.3-percent completion rate & winning a national championship. [McCarthy] was the fastest QB in the top 5 drafted, running a 4.48 40-yard dash. It will be fun to watch.

— John Farmer

There's been almost no one with the record McCarthy posted as a starting quarterback at Michigan.

Chuck Ealey went 35-0 at Toledo from 1969, and Jimmy Harris was 25-0 at Oklahoma from 1954-56.

Neither Ealey nor Harris played in the NFL, so there's not a follow-up with how they did in the pros.

McCarthy's completion percentage at Michigan and athleticism are impressive.

Although there were plenty of mentions of his lack of passing volume (because of Michigan's propensity for running the football), former Wolverines and current Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh has repeatedly championed McCarthy's game and impact at Michigan as the best in school history.

A former Wolverines QB who was drafted in the first round by the Bears in 1987, Harbaugh drew distinction for what Tom Brady accomplished in the NFL but said after the Rose Bowl that he considers McCarthy "the greatest quarterback in University of Michigan — college football history."

"Got a long way to go to get to get where Tom Brady eventually got to, which is the GOAT. He lapped the field when it comes to that," Harbaugh added. "But in a college career there's been nobody at Michigan better than J.J."

Every draft class has quarterbacks who are able to transfer college success to pro success. Some reach another level in the NFL, and others are unable to yield similar results.

People in and out of the building are excited about McCarthy's future.

Can you provide status reports on UDFAs Malik Knowles and Bo Richter? I have not seen a trace of either in OTAs or minicamps in your photos and videos or in any commentary. Are they injured? I know they are both roster long shots, but they seemed to have some developmental promise and so far, they have been ghosts.

— Mark Webster

Malik Knowles was able to participate in the rookie minicamp. He and returnee Thayer Thomas made several catches during that camp in May, showing their experience from being around the building the previous year.

Knowles was not participating in multiple OTA and mandatory minicamp sessions, but I don't think his injury has been discussed.

Richter's Relative Athletic Score of 9.91 is absolutely elite and has my interest piqued. It's one of the best ever for a linebacker. His size (lack of length) probably prevented him from being drafted. Richter is listed at 6-1 and 248 pounds. His arm length was listed at 30 and 5/8 inches.

He was working on a side field multiple days and progressing closer to action.

Hopefully by training camp they'll be able to put their best feet forward.