Why Vikings’ plan for McCarthy failed -- and what’s next

EAGAN, Minn. -- Vikings fans were watching warmups in December when an in-house camera began panning the crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium. It stopped at a group holding a homemade poster. The top of the poster read: “All I want for Christmas” On the bottom was an image of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, whose late-season musings about his future have sparked speculation that he could change teams during the offseason. There is no better symbol of the Vikings’ season than fans wishing for a new quarterback only four months after the team installed 22-year-old J.J. McCarthy -- the talented and charismatic 2024 first-round draft pick who had the fan base swooning this summer. McCarthy’s...