The $96 Million Protection Plan Has a Crack in It

The Brian O'Neill extension was always about more than a right tackle. Minnesota committed four years and $96 million to keep McCarthy's blind side clean, the clearest possible signal that this organization was building around its young quarterback. That investment looks sound on paper. The quarterback himself is another matter.

McCarthy heads into Week 1 still listed as Questionable with an ankle injury that kept him out of the preseason finale against Denver. Max Brosmer is the backup, and he is active. That is what the depth chart says right now, and it is the relevant fact.

The weapons are there if McCarthy plays. Jefferson, Hockenson, and Mason are all confirmed active. The offensive line, O'Neill included, is intact. A healthy McCarthy has a real supporting cast. The problem is that he has not been healthy, and the Vikings have not gotten a clean look at him since he exited after 18 snaps on August 22.

My read is that the Vikings probably get their starter back for Week 1 — the ESPN report on the Denver scratch indicated the team was not alarmed — but "probably" is not a great place to be on the eve of a season. The front office spent the offseason building a structure around one quarterback. Whether that quarterback is upright when it matters is the only question left.