There is no reason for the Minnesota Vikings to pay for Sam Darnold. Whatever reason you can concoct, throw it out. The logic simply isn’t there. A team that turned down a proven veteran on a big deal only to sign a younger, unproven player for the same money makes little sense.
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It’s great for Sam Darnold that he got to work with Kevin O’Connell for a year. It’s great for him that Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison were on the receiving end of his passes. The Minnesota Vikings made the former first-round pick a ton of money. He should find that elsewhere.
If the Vikings aren’t ready to give the reins over to J.J. McCarthy in Week 1 next season, then ample amounts of alternatives come in with higher ceilings than Darnold did. Daniel Jones, who was on the team as the veteran’s backup during the playoff game, has won more. Aaron Rodgers is a free agent. Matthew Stafford is a trade target.
The Vikings moved on from Kirk Cousins because of his production, which correlated with his cap hit. That situation would immediately play out again if Darnold were re-signed to a gaudy deal. He was an ideal answer this year but played for just $10 million.
If Minnesota wants to give McCarthy a fully healthy year to figure things out, then Rodgers and Stafford make infinitely more sense than Darnold. The acquisition cost for both can be lower, and the winning ceiling is infinitely higher. Pairing either veteran with Minnesota’s talent should immediately elevate them to a new level.
Both Rodgers and Stafford have experience in the NFC North. Both veterans have won a significant amount within the division. Sure, it would be putting a bandaid on the position for a year. Neither are long-term answers. The hope is that McCarthy remains to be the next coming of Fran Tarkenton.
There is still ample opportunity to figure out what McCarthy brings to the table beyond this season. There’s also a way to shoot for the stars and go with a rogue agent looking for one more ring during the interim.
McCarthy should be Minnesota’s answer. If he won’t be, though, stop doing the Darnold thing and look elsewhere.
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Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.