Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) warms up before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.
VikingsTerritory’s Purple Rumor Mill is a two-day chronicle each week. All the week’s Vikings rumors are lassoed and plopped in two spots — articles on Saturday and Sunday — for review. Today is the September 28th edition.
Remember — rumors are rumors. What you read on weekends in these pieces is what the world is talking about pertaining to the purple team, not necessarily items that will come to fruition.
Here’s the first batch of the week. All past rumors can be read here.
Darnold leads the NFL in touchdown passes through three games (8) and ranks seventh per EPA+CPOE, an efficiency metric measuring expected wins added. Now, however, some see the writing on the wall that McCarthy will take his QB1 throne in 2025, thus making Darnold’s future in Minnesota uncertain.
So, Bleacher Report says the Tennessee Titans for Darnold, a club in conversations regarding the NFL’s worst team to start the season.
“Maybe Will Levis proves he deserves another shot next season. Maybe he doesn’t. Either way, the Titans should be prepared to at least add a veteran who could compete for the job. Sam Darnold is on pace to become the latest signal-caller to enjoy a post-hype breakout as a serviceable starter,” BR’s collective staff wrote this week.
Indeed, Darnold is scheduled to hit open free agency in March, though the Vikings could prevent it with the stroke of a pen. Make no mistake, however — the great debate is coming, especially if Darnold propels Minnesota on a deep playoff run. In a matter of months, purple fans will line up on fault lines, deciding “Darnold or McCarthy” for 2025.
At the current rate, that debate will happen for sure.
“If the Vikings want to transition to J.J. McCarthy next season, then Darnold could be a surprisingly in-demand free agent,” BR concluded about the concept of Darnold to Tennessee.
We get it — exploring where Darnold can land is intriguing. But most purple fans would just like to enjoy the ride for now.
Outspoken NFL pundit Colin Cowherd saw enough after Minnesota systematically dismantled the Houston Texans on Sunday, claiming he knew how quarterback Sam Darnold’s blossoming storybook season would end — a Lombardi Trophy on February 9th.
“Last couple of weeks I’ve been saying, ‘I don’t know how long this Sam Darnold thing is going to last?’ But I do now. Until February 9th. That’s the date of the Super Bowl. Yeah, I said it. Yeah, I said it. Four touchdowns, no picks,” Cowherd said in a video posted to X last Sunday afternoon.
Minnesota thoroughly clobbered the Texans in Week 3, running up the score to the tune of 34-7 and making the Texans’ vaunted offense look foolish and clueless. On the offensive side of operations, the aforementioned Darnold threw four touchdowns and no interceptions, echoed by Cowherd in the X video.
We’ve reached the point on the calendar when some consider the Vikings a Super Bowl contender. Whoodathunkit?
ESPN’s Benjamin Solak [sort of] doubled down on his Darnold-themed critique this week, two days after Darnold delivered a four-touchdown performance against the Super Bowl-contending Houston Texans. Put plainly, Solak is not sold on Darnold’s sustainability.
“This is the rub for Darnold: He has to succeed when O’Connell’s machinations fail — when he’s pressured or forced to play outside of structure. And Darnold doesn’t need to win on scramble-drill plays or beat free rushers or anything,” Solak explained. “If he can just continue to avoid turnovers and whittle down on sack numbers, then he’ll continue doing his part for the Vikings’ offense. We might call this the Jimmy Garoppolo/Brock Purdy dichotomy.”
Solak continued, “I called the Vikings pretenders in this space last week and picked against them in my Friday column. Vikings fans raked me over the coals, and Sunday, I ate my crow as Minnesota demolished the Texans at home. I’m still not convinced, though. I’ve watched a lot of Darnold over the years, and I know that these flashes of quality play are often chased by a few head-scratching weeks.”
Minnesota began the 2024 season with a 28% playoff probability, according to sportsbooks, a mark that has since climbed to 69%.
Solak concluded, “I’m one step closer to believing that this will last all season. I’ve gone from ‘full-throated doubter’ to ‘suspicious but willing to entertain.’ Verdict: Good coaches can win with Darnold. Great coaches can win with Darnold for a while. Time to make your money, KOC.”
Can’t please ’em all. The Vikings evidently need a few more wins to convince the naysayers. Maybe a win over the Packers on Sunday would do the trick.
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 MIN 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.