Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) after the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.
To an extent, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold has revitalized his career in 2024, ranking 11th among all qualifying quarterbacks, per EPA+CPOE, an efficiency metric measuring expected wins added.
Of course, the veteran passer endured a rough game last weekend, gifting 3 interceptions to no touchdowns en route to his team’s 12-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Onlookers will hope for a bounceback game this Sunday in Tennessee.
And before too long, Darnold’s future will dominate all things Vikings, as the 27-year-old is scheduled to hit open free agency in March. Minnesota has rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy ready and willing to take over QB1 in 2025, so Darnold may walk to another team after a pit stop in the Twin Cities.
Per ESPN, the Los Angeles Rams could be a suitor for Darnold — which would make all the sense in the world. For Darnold’s success to continue, he might need a coach from the Shanahan coaching tree, and well, Sean McVay is basically the non-Kyle-Shanahan poster child for that club.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote this weekend while examining Darnold’s post-Vikings options: “My wild-card pick here is the Rams, assuming Matthew Stafford decides to move on (which I’m not reporting, but Stafford is obviously year-to-year at this point of his career). Darnold had a nice season with Kyle Shanahan in a backup role in San Francisco last season and has obviously done well with Kevin O’Connell this year, so he knows the basics of the offense Sean McVay runs.”
“And McVay is the kind of coach — like Shanahan and O’Connell — who would design things to make Darnold as comfortable as possible and put him in the best position to succeed,” Graziano continued.
Stafford will turn 37 in February, entering territory where he could hang up in a few months, and no one anywhere would be surprised. He could also keep playing until 40. Stay tuned.
“I doubt Darnold ends up back in Minnesota, where the Vikings want to have the decks cleared for J.J. McCarthy once their first-round pick is healthy again. Never say never, of course, and if McCarthy’s recovery from his knee injury is delayed, who knows? But my guess is someone will want to pay Darnold more than the Vikings, given McCarthy’s status as their future starter,” Graziano concluded.
This website advanced the Darnold-to-Rams idea about a month ago because it just makes too much sense.
If Darnold leaves Minnesota in 2025 in pursuit of a $40+ contract — he probably will — getting stuck on a lowly franchise per quarterback development like Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, or Tennessee Titans would do him no justice. McVay and the Rams, on the other hand, would just be a continuation of his relationship with Kevin O’Connell.
Jot it down: Sometime down the line, Darnold will probably join forces with McVay — whenever Stafford steps away.
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.