Sam Darnold Balled Out — and Now Is What Matters for Minnesota
When the Minnesota Vikings signed Sam Darnold to a one-year deal worth $10 million, they hoped he could be a competent bridge quarterback. There was never real belief that J.J. McCarthy would start out of the gate, but he would almost certainly take over at some point. Injury changed that trajectory, and Darnold’s play has been everything Minnesota has needed. On Sunday, it reached a new level.
Sam Darnold Balled Out — and Now Is What Matters for Minnesota
Facing off against the Arizona Cardinals, Sam Darnold carried his team to a victory. Needing a late score to pull ahead, Darnold went back to the well and hit Aaron Jones for a short touchdown pass to secure Minnesota’s tenth win of the season. He finished 21-of-31 for 235 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Despite taking five sacks, Darnold didn’t throw an interception and never coughed up the football.
The Vikings found themselves up against it late, and Darnold orchestrated a game-winning drive that brought his team back. He stepped up like you’d hope a QB1 is capable of, and he came through to provide a victory for Kevin O’Connell. It would be more than fair to say he played one of the best games of his career.
It’s because of his performance this season that Darnold is going to get paid. There are 32 teams in the NFL, and not enough of them have a true starting caliber quarterback. The landing spots for Darnold should be plentiful, and that means the market will likely pay him a long-term deal where he earns more than triple what he is being paid this season. Minnesota likely isn’t going to be among the suitors, and that’s ok.
The Vikings constructed the roster so the quarterback isn’t a position they need to spend on. McCarthy is on a rookie deal, and the dollars can be allocated around him. Paying Darnold as a free agent looking to cash in just doesn’t make sense for them. It’s also possible that it won’t go as well for his next team.
O’Connell has gotten Darnold to a place where the quarterback has proven situations matter. He is much better than New York, or Carolina showed him to be. That said, no landing spot he moves on to will have Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, Aaron Jones, or even O’Connell. The Vikings have an elite offense that gives a quarterback multiple options when targeting playmakers. That has no doubt propped up Darnold’s abilities, and he won’t be able to take it with him.
Minnesota doesn’t need to worry about Darnold’s future, though. He’s the perfect fit for the purple right now. Someone else can pay him next year, and they’ll roll the dice on the pieces around him being good enough. Until then, the former first-round pick will continue to enjoy life in Minnesota.
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 daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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