Stop Doing the Sam Darnold Thing!
You. Yes, you. Stop it. Right now.
The Minnesota Vikings will not re-sign Sam Darnold; they have told you this for months. Remember when Kevin O’Connell was best friends with Kirk Cousins? He chased the paper, and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah didn’t flinch. Now O’Connell has helped Darnold to earn the paper, and the franchise won’t flinch either.
Stop Doing the Sam Darnold Thing!
Minnesota was unwilling to spend on Cousins and drafted rookie J.J. McCarthy with their first pick because it resets the roster at the most important position. Darnold was brought in to be a bridge. That may have led to him being benched, and it may have resulted in the payday he has now earned.
That payday is almost certainly going to come from someone else.
There’s a reason that Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and McCarthy all preferred Minnesota. There’s a reason Darnold took a deal with the Vikings rather than working as a backup again for the 49ers or Los Angeles Rams. Kevin O’Connell is a great coach, and Minnesota has assets like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson.
That foursome isn’t going anywhere next year. The skill positions players are back. If Aaron Jones isn’t, then it will be a quality free agent or someone like Ashton Jeanty. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can supplement his roster because he isn’t tied to crazy dollars at the quarterback position.
If nothing else, Darnold’s performance should show exactly why Minnesota won’t bring him back. He has been exceptional. Previously, he was not. O’Connell is a difference-maker. He will be the same difference maker for McCarthy and in the interim, possibly Daniel Jones. Guess how little that tandem is going to cost.
It’s legitimately crazy to think that the Vikings will pay the quarterback they have known for a year when they weren’t going to pay the one they knew for six. This is a well-oiled machine at this point, and that’s a testament to the infrastructure around the quarterback.
Short of Darnold being tabbed with a franchise tag, and that would be dirty work, he won’t be back with Minnesota. He’s going to sign for the payday this franchise helped him earn. From there, O’Connell can focus on creating the next version of that reality.
Stop questioning how much the Vikings should pay Sam Darnold. It’s not happening.
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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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