Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold can test the free-agent market in less than a month if general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah allows it.
ESPN Narrows Sam Darnold’s Landing Spots to 3 Teams
Darnold threw for 4,319 passing yards in 2024, with 36 total touchdowns and 12 interceptions. But he disappeared when it mattered the most in the season’s final two games.
And ESPN provided an update this week on Darnold’s would-be next employers.
What ESPN Said
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert sized up the NFL’s key storylines and dates a few days after the Super Bowl, and unsurprisingly, Darnold made the cut.
“Darnold, a pending unrestricted free agent, is a natural fit to replace Stafford in Los Angeles after spending 2024 in Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense, which is derived from Rams coach Sean McVay’s scheme. The Raiders could also emerge as a Darnold suitor, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter,” Seifert wrote.
“That’s assuming the Vikings decide not to bring back Darnold, as they have 2024 No. 10 draft pick J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings. They could sign Darnold to a multiyear contract or use the franchise tag.”
Why the Raiders?
Las Vegas is scheduled to pick sixth in April’s draft, horrible placement if one assumes Cam Ward (Miami) and Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) will fly off the board in the Top 5. This year’s class is not like 2024, for example, with Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy, and Bo Nix. It’s not that deep at all, in fact.
Then, glancing down at the 2025 Raiders depth chart, Aidan O’Connell is the only possible starting option.
That nominates Darnold as a candidate in Las Vegas, almost by default, especially if the Raiders want no part of Aaron Rodgers or Kirk Cousins in free agency, two old quarterbacks in NFL terms.
Why the Rams?
Matthew Stafford could, in theory, retire soon, and the Rams would need a replacement. Based on what Kevin O’Connell did with Darnold, Sean McVay, beyond the shadow of a doubt, could replicate Darnold’s 2024 performance.
And at age 28, the Rams would feel like they had a quarterback for the next 7-10 years. Stafford, on the other hand, turned 37 last weekend.
It’s also worth noting that Safford’s wife, Kelly, seemed to endorse a trade for her husband last week, claiming the couple was frustrated by Cooper Kupp’s soon-to-be trade.
Unlike the Vikings, the Rams don’t have a J.J. McCarthy on the roster.
Back to Minnesota?
It is, of course, possible that Darnold will return to Minnesota in 2025.
But it doesn’t seem probable.
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.”
It’s more likely that Darnold heads elsewhere in four weeks than returning to the Twin Cities.
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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.