Stop Doing the Sam Darnold Thing.
Sam Darnold is not going to play for the Minnesota Vikings in 2025.
At least he’s not going to be on a gaudy contract.
After a strong year as a bridge quarterback under the tutelage of Kevin O’Connell, he has earned a payday that escaped him during stints with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers.
Stop Doing the Sam Darnold Thing.
Expecting the Minnesota Vikings to pay for that is ludicrous.
Last offseason, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had the opportunity to sign Kirk Cousins, an established veteran quarterback familiar with the organization, and had won big games. Cousins has also never missed an opportunity to capitalize on a payday, and the Vikings intelligently let the Atlanta Falcons take that fall.
This offseason, a similar situation presents itself. Darnold is in line for a payday. He is familiar with the organization, and while the tenure is shorter, his best year came under the leadership of O’Connell. Now in line for a nice fat check, thinking Minnesota will reverse course is foolish.
The Vikings reset their salary cap situation by drafting J.J. McCarthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He suffered a significant knee injury, but an ACL tear is hardly a death sentence. The same faith that Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell had in the Michigan product when they drafted him should remain.
By going with McCarthy and some sort of veteran backup (hello, Daniel Jones), the Vikings have ample space to address other roster issues. This regime has not been able to do that while employing Cousins. This decision allowed them the flexibility to pitch Stephon Gilmore late this season and will give them additional ammunition during free agency in a year when picks are at a premium.
There is no reason why Darnold shouldn’t be looking for the bag. On the open market, even after a couple of down games to finish the slate, he’ll find a multi-year deal worth well over $100 million. Short of the Vikings franchise tagging him in an attempt to trade him for draft assets, it makes less than zero sense for Minnesota to spend big on the commodity they created.
If O’Connell can create this outcome for a player like Darnold, then the ceiling for a talent like McCarthy only grows. The Vikings drafted their quarterback of the future a year ago. They will pay him peanuts while he develops into the signal caller they envisioned him being.
Sam Darnold can and should be paid this offseason. However, Minnesota will not foot the bill.
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.
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