Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold signed in Minnesota last March for one year and $10 million.
ESPN Officially Predicts Sam Darnold’s New Team
He later accounted for 36 total touchdowns, with 4,319 passing yards, and nibbled at MVP contention before personally collapsing in the team’s final two games, which just so happened to be the most crucial.
So, Darnold is scheduled to test free agency this offseason if the Vikings don’t re-sign him or franchise tag him, a situation that will play out with the utmost interest over the next several weeks. And according to ESPN, Darnold’s next team will be the Las Vegas Raiders.
Courtesy of Jeremy Fowler, the sports media giant made official offseason predictions this week with the consultation of anonymous NFL executives. Per them, Darnold will head to Vegas.
“All it takes is one suitor to drive Darnold’s market to the point where it’s cost prohibitive for Minnesota to retain him. And the numbers favor Darnold — at least five teams selecting in the top 10 of the NFL draft need a quarterback during a year when the supply doesn’t meet the demand. Darnold is the clear-cut No. 1 quarterback in free agency,” Fowler explained.
“All it takes is one suitor to drive Darnold’s market to the point where it’s cost prohibitive for Minnesota to retain him. And the numbers favor Darnold — at least five teams selecting in the top 10 of the NFL draft need a quarterback during a year when the supply doesn’t meet the demand. Darnold is the clear-cut No. 1 quarterback in free agency.”
Heading into the 2024 campaign, the Raiders were the only NFL club without at least some semblance of a long-term plan at quarterback, showcasing Garnder Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. Their season netted four wins and 13 losses.
An NFL exec told Fowler, “At Pick 6, the Raiders are out of range for a quarterback unless they move up, which wouldn’t be smart based on the amount of holes they have. They need every pick. They have flexibility within the cap to get it done.”
If Darnold skedaddles to the Raiders or elsewhere, the Vikings will presumably roll with J.J. McCarthy, drafted by the organization with the 10th overall pick nine months ago.
Fowler concluded, “Las Vegas is slated to have nearly $100 million in 2025 cap space, more than enough to pay a veteran passer. Most execs polled believe Darnold belongs in the Geno Smith/Baker Mayfield class of contracts, somewhere in the range of three years and $100 million.”
Darnold could fetch around $40 million per season via his next deal. He’ll 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 Vikings 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.