More Sam Darnold Evidence Points One Way for Vikings
NFL free agency is about two and half weeks away, and all signs point to Sam Darnold, the league’s top free-agent quarterback prize, testing the open market.
More Sam Darnold Evidence Points One Way for Vikings
Darnold worked for the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, notching 4,319 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions inside a reclamation year for the former third overall pick. He helped lead the purple team to a 14-3 record when most sportsbooks and pundits expected Minnesota to win six or seven games.
Unfortunately, Darnold picked the season’s final two games — the most important ones — for his 2024 regression, playing horribly when it mattered the most against the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams. Accordingly, the Vikings lost in Round 1 of the postseason, and the 14 wins felt all for nil.
Now, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Vikings are unlikely to oblige Darnold’s large asking price, though they’d entertain a reunion at an affordable rate. “I’m told the Minnesota Vikings are open to doing a deal with Sam Darnold. People I’ve talked to around the league believe that the franchise tag is not the likeliest path that Minnesota would take,” Fowler said on ESPN airwaves this week.
“That’s a high number, around $40 million. Minnesota’s stance seems to be that they’re not going to mortgage the future for Sam Darnold.”
Fans have debated Darnold’s future, focused on three primary outcomes:
- Letting Darnold hit the open market.
- Extending Darnold in Minnesota.
- Franchise tagging-and-trading Darnold to a new team.
“If he’s getting major bank with another team somewhere else, they probably won’t mortgage their future in that regard. But they’re certainly open to having him back. They loved having him,” Fowler continued.
Minnesota would face constrained roster construction if it re-upped with Darnold at $40 million annually or more. The franchise just ended the Kirk Cousins era last offseason when it paid a good-but-not-elite quarterback mucho dinero.
It’s worth noting that Minnesota could be using misdirection regarding its Darnold stance — leaking that it might want Darnold back to drive up his hypothetical trade value. Sports organizations use such maneuvers.
Fowler concluded, “What was made clear to me, though, is J.J. McCarthy is the franchise QB at some point. So whoever steps in this year is essentially a bridge quarterback. Daniel Jones could make some sense. I’m told that he is still on the table as an option. He was in the building last year. He would be a cheaper alternative to Sam Darnold.”
Oddsmakers believe McCarthy, not Darnold, will quarterback the 2025 Vikings. The moneyline is hovering around -350 for McCarthy.
Like most NFL matters, this one boils down to money and whether Darnold will contemplate a “team-friendly” deal in Minnesota. The answer is probably not.
NFL free agency gets underway in 18 days with “legal tampering.” The franchise tag window closes in 12.
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.
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