Vikings Coach Might Have Spilled the Beans
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold has played so well in 2024 that some fans have wondered if the passer on a one-year contract will return to the Twin Cities for Year No. 2 in 2025.
Vikings Coach Might Have Spilled the Beans
That topic will turn white-hot when the Vikings’ season ends, but on Wednesday, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips might’ve spilled the beans about Darnold’s future.
In short, Darnold sounded like a goner — a man rather obviously on track to cash in on a fat contract elsewhere in 2025.
“I think we all know that Sam is going to be a sought-after type of guy from wherever that may be. Whatever his future ends up being, I know all of us in this building are going to be happy for him, no matter where that ends up being. I don’t think he has to worry about that anymore,” Phillips told reporters.
Minnesota drafted rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy last April, and the franchise seems poised to hand him the QB1 baton next year. McCarthy tore his meniscus in mid-August, canceling his rookie campaign.
“I would hope he would kind of say, ‘Hey, the body of work that I’ve put in so far is going to take care of the future. Really, all I need to worry about is right now.'”
“The worry might’ve been, ‘OK, this might be my opportunity to play.’ He’s past all that. He’s proven the doubters, and he’s proven that he can play in this league. Let’s just make this the best possible season we can have,” Phillips continued.
Darnold will hit free agency in March if Minnesota doesn’t extend his contract, and teams like the New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, or Tennessee Titans could explore his asking price. The Los Angeles Rams are a fascinating franchise to monitor, too, if Matthew Stafford retires.
“Sam has really taken heed to all the cliches: Be where your feet are planted; be in the moment; let’s go 1-0 this week; let’s worry about this game plan. Whether there’s been praise — which there has been a lot for him this year — he hasn’t let that affect him, and when games don’t go necessarily we want to, or he wants to, he hasn’t let that affect him either,” Phillips added. “He’s been consistent in his demeanor, in his approach, in his work ethic, and that’s where we want to be. The most important game is the next one, and for this week, it’s Chicago.”
Darnold is on pace for roughly 4,300 passing yards, 38 total touchdowns, and 13 interceptions this season. That production will probably fetch him a contract between $40-$50 million in 2025.
Phillips has a golden opportunity to say something in the arena of, “Sam is our quarterback right now, and I don’t handle his contract business for next year.”
But he didn’t do that.
Instead, Phillips stated what is becoming obvious — Darnold will make bank for a new team in 2025 while Minnesota’s sticks to the McCarthy plan.
Darnold’s Vikings can climb to 12-2 this season with a win over the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football and are favored to win by seven.
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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.
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