2 Sneaky Sam Darnold Theories to Monitor
Sam 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.
2 Sneaky Sam Darnold Theories to Monitor
The 27-year-old may not remain with the Minnesota Vikings beyond 2024 as his performance this season is worthy of the hefty contract on the open free-agent market — cash that Minnesota doesn’t have with rookie J.J. McCarthy waiting to take the franchise’s reins.
Darnold-themed “debates” — not unlike those from the Kirk Cousins era — have already begun among fans, but folks aren’t much talking about these two theories.
Darnold to the Rams if Matthew Stafford Retires
Los Angeles Rams signal-caller Matthew Stafford will turn 37 in two months, and one lingering question about his career trajectory is longevity.
Can he continue to perform at a relatively high level, or will his skill set begin to fall off like Kirk Cousins, for example, in Atlanta? Tom Brady set the standard before retiring after the 2022 campaign, but not everybody thrives deep into their 40s on the football field.
Aaron Rodgers can attest.
And while Stafford has not hinted at retirement, it wouldn’t be weird one bit if he announced his exit from the sport after this season. That’s what older quarterbacks eventually do. Well, if Stafford takes that plunge this offseason, you better believe Sean McVay could replicate what Kevin O’Connell has done for Darnold’s career in Minnesota.
Vikings fans spent months daydreaming and predicting a “Baker Mayfield-like” season for Darnold in 2024, and those postulations came true — and then some. The Mayfield comparisons would go full tilt if Darnold left the Vikings for the Rams and latched onto that franchise as its permanent quarterback.
Darnold would feast in Tinseltown if Stafford retired.
Darnold + Josh McCown as a Package Deal
Last offseason, Minnesota hired Josh McCown for its quarterbacks coach opening, and the team quickly turned around and signed Darnold to a free-agent deal.
Darnold has made the most of his stay in the Twin Cities, while most believe McCown has put a positive thumbprint on his career turnaround. The two worked together as quarterback coworkers with the New York Jets.
Now, they’re teacher and pupil.
McCown could receive promotion nibbles during the coaching carousel, and if a team like the New York Giants or Las Vegas Raiders hired McCown as head coach or offensive coordinator, perhaps bringing Darnold along for the ride could be a package deal.
Unbelievably, when McCown was still an active player in January 2021, he interviewed for the Houston Texans’ head coaching vacancy, though many criticized the process because McCown hadn’t “paid his dues” as a coach anywhere in the NFL. He was still a player.
Now, however, McCown could reasonably attain a promotion elsewhere, and Darnold following him just makes too much sense.
Comically, the New York Jets could even be a target for the pairing, at least in theory.
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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