Most Minnesota Vikings fans have operated under the pretense for a few weeks that 2024 rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy would take the reins of QB1 next season.
Bombshell Dropped into Vikings QB Situation
But that assumption might’ve been formulated prematurely. The Vikings reportedly want McCarthy’s teammate, Sam Darnold, back in 2025 at a price tag of their liking.
NFL insider Jordan Schutlz — of Starbucks fame last week involving a spat with NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport — tweeted Tuesday: “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.
ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry also tweeted about the Darnold development: “Sam Darnold will be able to test his value on the market, while also weighing the financial value of signing the most lucrative deal versus signing somewhere that seems to be a great fit. That could include potentially returning to Minnesota.”
“For the Vikings, they’re in an interesting spot with JJ McCarthy’s projection as a future top QB, Darnold’s proven production (But with glaring losses to the Rams and Lions), and the wildcard of Daniel Jones, who made great impressions in his short time there.”
On the whole, Vikings fans are basically back to the December debate — “Who will it be? Darnold or McCarthy at quarterback?” And most believed that talker had been put to bed when Darnold utterly collapsed in the season’s final two games, causing a dreaded one-and-done playoff experience.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell told KFAN’s Paul Allen last week about his quarterback situation: “There’s a lot of teams who would sign up to trade spots with us right now in regards to their quarterback room in the landscape of both the present and the future.”
Last month, McCarthy made one request for the offseason, speaking with Rich Eisen: he just wants his chance to lead the franchise.
“There’s a lot of things that are certainly above my pay grade and some things above his pay grade,” McCarthy replied when asked about his teammate Sam Darnold’s impending free agency.
McCarthy told Eisen, “All I could ask for is a fair opportunity. That’s the one thing I feel like everybody’s given and it’s fundamental. When money gets involved, things get complicated and reps get skewed and there’s different things that come into the whole political world that everyone talks about. I really just have to focus on controlling what I can control.”
McCarthy’s fear of “money involved” and “skewed reps” could very well come true if the Vikings re-sign Darnold to a sizable extension.
Finally, if this all sounds familiar for the Vikings, well, it should. All of these same tidbits regarding wanting Darnold back next season were the same jargon used with Kirk Cousins’ offseason situation in 2024. Cousins later left in free agency.
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.