Vikings Urged to Avoid Huge Mistake in Free Agency
Samuel Richard Darnold led the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 to a splendid 14-3 record, slicing and dicing opposing defenses for 4,319 passing yards, 36 total touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Vikings Urged to Avoid Huge Mistake in Free Agency
He even played like a fringe MVP candidate until Week 18, when Minnesota visited Ford Field for a winner-take-all contest with the Detroit Lions, where the victor would win the NFC North and secure homefield advantage throughout the postseason.
But he played miserably that night in Detroit — and even worse the following week against the Los Angeles Rams in the Wildcard Round. Accordingly, the Vikings suffered a one-and-done playoff experience.
Advice learned from Darnold’s two-game faceplant? Don’t pay him elite money in free agency, says Bleacher Report. Brad Gagnon warned of major NFL mistakes this offseason, and regarding Darnold, the recommendation was to avoid handing him a fat satchel of cash.
“I wouldn’t pursue Darnold either, at least if the annual price tag will be up in the $30-plus million range or if it requires a long-term commitment. I like Darnold. He showed in 2024 that he is capable of carrying a talented team with plenty of support for a long stretch. He did not prove that he could continue to do so when it mattered most in January,” Gagnon explained, with free agency five days away.
“Darnold is a great bridge quarterback and a superb backup. He’s an insurance policy for a contender that may need the coverage in a pinch.”
The message applies to the Vikings, who evidently would enjoy Darnold back at the price, and teams like the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tennessee Titans, also known as clubs inside Darnold’s rumor mill.
Gagnon added, “But when he completely choked with awful performances in a critical Week 18 loss to the Lions and an even-more-critical playoff loss to the Rams, he reminded us why he was on his fourth roster in a five-year span. Somebody will make it five in six, and there’s a good chance they’ll regret it.”
On Tuesday, NFL insider Jordan Schultz claimed the Vikings want Darnold back. He tweeted: “Sources: The Vikings and QB Sam Darnold have been in discussions about a short-term deal to keep him in Minnesota. There is mutual interest from both sides following his resurgent season to keep this relationship going, though more work remains. Free agency is in under a week.”
Schultz added, “Per source, the franchise tag at $40.2M for Sam Darnold was too steep for the Vikings, as they believed it would make negotiating a new deal more difficult while also limiting their ability to build out the rest of the roster. Minnesota still wants Darnold back, but the numbers will need to align.”
Without the franchise tag in place, Minnesota cannot trade Darnold, and as a last resort of sorts, he’d hit free agency, which kicks off next Monday, if the Vikings’ brass and Darnold’s representation cannot reach an extension agreement.
For now, Darnold’s estimated market value approaches $40 million per season, though his depressed trade market could indicate a number much more petite.
And per Bleacher Report, no team should hand Darnold starter money because they’ll probably regret it.
Darnold will turn 28 this summer.
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.
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