Aug 6, 2022; Canton, OH, USA; Kurt Warner arrives on the red carpet during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Enshrinement at Tom Benson Hallof Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.
The reclamation story will get underway this Sunday: that’s the word from Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.
Warner is high on new Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, who joined the club in March as a patchover passer to a signal-caller to be named later. Then, in late April, the Vikings tabbed J.J. McCarthy as the quarterback of the future, but a torn meniscus canceled his rookie season. It’s all systems go for Darnold at quarterback accordingly.
Warner said this week that he expects Darnold to have the best debut of any Week 1 quarterback in the NFL when Minnesota travels to New Jersey for a date with the New York Giants. “I always like great stories. This is a guy that was drafted in New York. He’s going back to New York with a different team. I love his supporting cast, this being Sam Darnold. His supporting cast in Minnesota,” Warner declared.
Darnold signed a one-year deal worth up to $10 million this offseason.
“Coach O’Connell first of all, but Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, you got Aaron Jones in the backfield. Best weapons he’s had around him. I believe he goes into New York and has a great performance in Week 1,” Warner added.
And Warner isn’t alone with his high-upside chatter regarding Darnold. In June, former Viking and league MVP Rich Gannon agreed. He joined the Purple Insider podcast this summer and sized up Darnold. “My overall assessment of Sam Darnold is that he’s an extremely talented player. He’s very athletic, he’s got good feet, he’s got a big-time arm, he can make all the throws,” Gannon explained. “He’s a young guy. He’s 26 years old. It’s stupid that he’s been in the league six years and he’s 26 years old.”
For context, Gannon is absolutely perfect to opine on Darnold. Why? Well, Gannon’s career didn’t fully take off until age 34. He performed in an average capacity with the Vikings and then bounced around the NFL until 1999 when the Las Vegas (Oakland) Raiders handed him the QB1 baton. Gannon was unlocked and later won an MVP.
Gannon also suggested Darnold’s would-be mindset: “If I get that opportunity and we start the season and we get off to a good start then I ain’t coming out, that’s my mindset. They don’t have to play JJ if we’re 7-2 then this is going to be my opportunity. If you’re Sam, that’s all you want. An opportunity to show people that I’m a different player and I’ve matured and developed into a quarterback who can be trusted. Reliable, dependable and consistent.”
When Darnold last started in the NFL two years ago, he didn’t play poorly at all.
QB Rankings | 2022,
EPA + CPOE:
(min. 125 att)
Gannon also cautioned Darnold about turnovers, claiming that persistent fault of Darnold’s could be his career’s undoing.
So, in one summer, Darnold had Warner — who should know his stuff — in the predictive cheerleader role and Gannon with the deep dive.
Darnold will be the Vikings’ first Week 1 quarterback not named Kirk Cousins since 2017 when Sam Bradford led the team out of the gate. Cousins joined the Atlanta Falcons this offseason.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.