Vikings QB Earns Award

Dustin Baker |

Oct 3, 2024

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) escapes from Green Bay Packers defensive end Kingsley Enagbare (55) on Sunday, September 29, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Vikings won the game, 31-29. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

You know the vibes are immaculate when Sam Darnold is winning awards.

Vikings QB Earns Award

The Minnesota Vikings reclamation project won the NFL’s NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September, a sweet achievement after his team has started the season with an unblemished 4-0 record.

Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold (14) is presses by Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark (97) during the first quarter of their game Sunday, September 29, 2024 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. © Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.

The Athletic’s Alec Lewis tweeted Thursday, “Vikings QB Sam Darnold has been named the NFC offensive player of the month for September. First in passing TDs and passer rating. Second in yards per attempt. Played the position at such a high level.”

Darnold, 27, leads the NFL in touchdown passes with 11 and ranks third leaguewide per EPA+CPOE, an efficiency metric measuring expected wins added.

Through four games, the guy has played like the real deal, totally on pace to reclaim his career after sad stops in New York with the Jets and Carolina with the Panthers.

The San Francisco 49ers employed Darnold as QB2 behind Brock Purdy in 2023, and he chose the Vikings during the 2024 offseason once Kirk Cousins departed for the Atlanta Falcons. Darnold knew he had a chance to start in Minnesota — and he was correct after rookie passer J.J. McCarthy went down with a torn meniscus.

Buffalo Bills passer Josh Allen won the AFC’s Offensive Player of the Month for September.

Darnold is on a stunning pace, too.

If he continues his current clip, he will finish 2024 with 3,961 passing yards, 47 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. That stat line would win Darnold the MVP award beyond the shadow of a doubt. In fact, the Vikings signal-caller is smack dab in the middle of the MVP race now, if that can be believed. With a Week 5 showdown for Minnesota against the New York Jets looming, these are the league’s MVP frontrunners:

Patrick Mahomes: +240
Josh Allen: +260
Sam Darnold: +1000
C.J. Stroud: +1000
Lamar Jackson: +1100

Darnold mentioned his ardor for head coach Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings organization after Week 4: “I love playing for Kevin. He’s been everything to me. He’s helped me so much in my short time here. I’m glad I made the decision to come here. He’s definitely a special coach.”

bleacher report — Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold joins Vikings Entertainment Network’s Gabe Henderson and discusses being coached now by his former New York Jets teammate, Josh McCown, being a big UFC fan, his journey through the NFL and more. Darnold became a Vikings in March 2024 after Kirk Cousins left for the Atlanta Falcons.

His Vikings travel to London this weekend for a date with the team that drafted him. The Jets selected Darnold third overall in 2018 and gave up on him after the 2020 campaign. New York now employs Aaron Rodgers at QB1, so it’ll be Darnold v. Rodgers on Sunday.

The Vikings are expected to win by two or three points.

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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.