In four weeks, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold can test the free-agent market if general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah allows it.
Adam Schefter Predicts Sam Darnold’s Next Team
Otherwise, Minnesota can re-sign Darnold for about $35-$45 million per season, although that feels unlikely after recently capping the Kirk Cousins era.
So, with Darnold probably on deck to hit the NFL’s marketplace, ESPN’s Adam Schefter named-dropped his top suitor this week: the Las Vegas Raiders. “I think the Raiders are going to make a play for Sam Darnold,” Schefter told a panel on The Pat McAfee Show.
“I think Sam Darnold is a candidate to be the Raiders quarterback. Let’s see if Minnesota lets him go or not. Let’s see if that works out with Darnold winding up in Vegas.”
Since the offseason kicked off, the Raiders have been the odds-on favorite to land Darnold’s services, mainly because Las Vegas’ sixth overall pick isn’t ideal to draft a quarterback this cycle. And the other viable QB option on the Raiders’ roster is Aidan O’Connell, and he’s not all that viable.
Minnesota employed Darnold in 2024 after McCarthy tore his meniscus in the preseason. McCarthy played wonderfully that August afternoon, slicing and dicing the Las Vegas Raiders’ defense in an exhibition bout, and a few days later, he hit the shelf for the season. Darnold later won 14 games with the Vikings before flaming out in Week 18 and the postseason’s Wildcard Round.
Meanwhile, Darnold chatted with SiriusXM Radio a week and a half ago and seemed like a player who will test free agency. “I’ve put a little bit of thought into it. I’m not going to share anything about, kind of, what I’ve been thinking or, obviously, the conversations I’ve had behind closed doors,” Darnold said.
“There’s obviously, a lot that’s going to happen still, even after the Super Bowl. So, I’m just going to continue to talk to my agent and figure things out from there.”
Moreover, the Vikings seem ready to commit to J.J. McCarthy this offseason. “We drafted him 10th overall for a reason,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell told CBS Sports on Saturday about McCarthy, the man on deck to lead the franchise.
O’Connell added, “I believe Sam [Darnold] has played himself into being kind of the marquee free-agent quarterback available. I do believe that his teammates and coaches, our front office, and myself would love to have Sam back in Minnesota. But at the same time we do feel very confident in J.J. McCarthy. He’s healthy.”
Those comments about Darnold sounded like a man heading toward the open market.
The Pat McAfee Show wasn’t the only place Schefter mentioned Darnold + Raiders. He said on NFL Live over the weekend: “One team that I would watch with Sam Darnold moving forward would be the Las Vegas Raiders. I think at some point in time, they’re likely to have some interest in trying to bring Sam Darnold to Las Vegas. We’ll see if they can make that happen.”
VikingsTerritory writers also overwhelmingly predict Darnold will end up in Las Vegas.
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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 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.