Sam Darnold Will Throw for 4,000 Yards in 2024
The Minnesota Vikings are amid a quarterback change, and the range of outcomes is relatively diverse. Expecting Sam Darnold to succeed is among them, and it’s something that Kevin O’Connell seems subscribed to. If that happens, he’s throwing for 4,000 yards in 2024.
Sam Darnold Will Throw for 4,000 Yards in 2024
The Minnesota Vikings paid Sam Darnold $10 million to be their Week 1 starter for the 2024 season. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell definitely knew that they intended to draft a quarterback after Kirk Cousins went to Atlanta, but there was never a reason to believe that player would start out of the gate.
Through the mini camp and offseason program, J.J. McCarthy has been getting his feet wet at the highest level, but he’s still working through developmental goals that will ultimately get him ready to take over. If Darnold can’t keep the team competitive during the 2024 season, that may happen, but the hope may be for it to come during Week 1 of the 2025 regular season.
Giving Sam Darnold the opportunity to play with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones, and eventually T.J. Hockenson, he will have a supporting cast unlike anything he has ever experienced before. With both the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers, the only thing that Darnold had in spades was a high level of incompetence.
So now, in a good situation, a 4,000-yard season is in front of him. Having only put up a single 3,000-yard season previously, that may seem crazy, but the list of quarterbacks that threw for 4,000 yards last season is something the Vikings’ new signal caller could be considered capable of joining. Jared Goff was hardly a superstar with the Los Angeles Rams, and his offensive attack in Detroit elevated him. Brock Purdy, the ultimate game manager, also surpassed 4,000 yards. Rookie C.J. Stroud popped off for 4,000 yards, and Jordan Love developed into that type of a passer. The one that stands out as the most glaring is Baker Mayfield.
With a stable of incredible pass catchers, it’s hard to think why Darnold couldn’t complete connections that wind up with gaudy yards after catch numbers. He could be working in tandem with a defense that needs him to score points, and starting 17 games will put him in position to keep producing weekly.
Regardless of the Vikings’ record during the upcoming season, Darnold very well could turn heads, which could result in him finding a sizable payday a year from now.
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.
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