Nov 21, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold (14) before the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings will likely draft a quarterback in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft. That player could also be secured within the first few picks if they move up. That shouldn’t make it a shock when Sam Darnold starts anyway.
When Kirk Cousins jetted for Atlanta, he left a vacancy at the most critical position in sports. Kevin O’Connell’s ship is without a captain right now, and they needed to find alternatives to take over that spot. Enter Sam Darnold.
For the duration of his NFL career to this point, Darnold has not been a good quarterback. He was highly touted out of college and immediately thrust into awful situations in New York and Carolina. Seeing him struggle isn’t a surprise; seeing him succeed wouldn’t be crazy either. What he is going to do is start.
Popular aggregator Dov Kleiman misquoted Kevin Seifert’s article and turned it into a suggestion that Darnold has been declared Minnesota’s answer at quarterback. Seifert’s actual quote reads, “Naturally, there is a level of gamesmanship involved in their comments. No team in their position would sell out publicly toward one outcome.”
Of course, the Vikings aren’t just going to position themselves in a spot where they will do anything to move up for a quarterback. It stands to reason that they would like either the second or third overall pick. Both Washington and New England need quarterbacks, but getting Drake Maye could be something Minnesota simply can’t pass up. While either of those spots will cost significantly, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah still has to operate in a way that doesn’t leave him getting fleeced.
If and when the Vikings do draft Maye, or J.J. McCarthy for that matter, Darnold will remain under center. If he does so for the duration of the season, it would reflect positive results for the team and player. Darnold moving to the bench will only happen if he struggles or the team isn’t positioned to win games.
The Vikings brought Darnold in, thinking they could develop him into what he was supposed to be, and if that happens, then the franchise will have a great problem on its hands.
Taking a quarterback should happen, but seeing that player immediately overtake even the most mediocre veteran just isn’t a thing that happens.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.