The Vikings’ QB1 Has Been Shining
Right now, the Vikings’ QB1 is Sam Darnold.
The veteran journeyman is being leaned on to put together some strong football in the short term as J.J. McCarthy learns and matures. If successful, Darnold can re-enter free agency in 2025 and possibly land a beefy commitment from a QB-needy team. The recent word is that the passer has been playing well.
Sam Darnold, The Vikings’ QB1, Has Been Shining
Consider, for instance, the update provided by the Vikings’ Craig Peters on August 6th.
Peters uplifts a long bomb between Darnold and Jordan Addison, Minnesota’s WR2: “Addison got steps on the defense, and Darnold led him accurately, allowing the second-year receiver to stride through the football on the way to the end zone. Darnold said last week that he’s worked hard on his accuracy. The fruit of that labor showed up on that play (and has multiple other times during camp).”
Moving through the rest of the Peters piece would result in more positive updates. Consider, though, the long completion between Darnold and Addison that appears to be referenced:
As an encore, Peters provides another piece on August 7th. Contained within is ample praise for what Sam Darnold has been accomplishing: “But a particularly impressive part of camp is how consistently [Justin Jefferson] and Darnold have been connecting on a variety of routes. It’s been just two months since the duo threw and caught together for the first time (during mandatory minicamp), but their rhythm is more like that of longstanding bandmates.”
Peters goes on: “Along the sideline, over the middle, short routes, intermediate and deep, they have consistently made plays. And Wednesday included a couple that occurred against some solid coverage by Byron Murphy, Jr.”
And to further corroborate what Peters is saying, consider one of the highlights:
Until the very end, Byron Murphy Jr. — Minnesota’s top corner — is in a pretty good spot. The throw allows for Jefferson to peel away from the coverage as Murphy’s momentum keeps him moving toward the sideline while Jefferson is able to slow down to create some separation. Strong play.
Need further evidence? Well, Ben Goessling offered some praise, as well. Notably, Goessling isn’t a team employee but a beat writer for The Star Tribune.
Even still, optimism shines through in the quick quip about the work Sam Darnold has been doing in the red zone: “Sam Darnold continues to look really good in the red zone. Hit another nice throw to Justin Jefferson for a TD while rolling to his right.”
As a follow-up, Goessling references another excellent play: “Then Darnold moved to his left before dropping one in the bucket for Jefferson, who caught it with Byron Murphy draped all over him.”
Understandably, there is a bit of skepticism about what Sam Darnold will be capable of accomplishing in 2024.
Back in 2018, Darnold got snagged at No. 3 by the New York Jets but hasn’t come close to living up to his draft slot. His career completion percentage sits at 59.7% and his TD-to-INT ratio is an uninspiring 63/56. For a modern QB, those numbers are concerning. Minnesota will be looking for a passer who can surpass 4,000 yards while completing roughly 65% of his passes. Plus, the TD-to-INT ratio will need to be considerably tidier.
The positive is simply that Darnold has been forming a strong connection with Justin Jefferson, which is the first step toward success as the Vikings’ QB1.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.
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