New Wrinkle Enters the Sam Darnold Situation
The Minnesota Vikings have one week to decide on re-signing quarterback Sam Darnold or letting him walk to open free agency. The organization could also apply the franchise tag by Tuesday, March 4th, and then work on trading Darnold to the highest bidder.
New Wrinkle Enters the Sam Darnold Situation
But according to The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis this week, a day removed from the 2025 NFL Combine, Minnesota would evidently enjoy having Darnold back in 2025 at the right price point because the coaching staff blames itself for his late-season collapse.
“Minnesota still would like to have Darnold back. The Week 18 loss to the Detroit Lions still stings, but coaches have been open that they feel responsible for the playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Bringing Darnold back only makes sense if his market is more depressed than expected,” Lewis wrote Monday, one week before NFL free agency kicks off.
“The Vikings have numerous holes to fill and must use free agency to do it. They see J.J. McCarthy as their quarterback of the future and don’t want to hinder his progression.”
While it’s no secret that Minnesota’s brass would prefer a Darnold reunion, it probably can’t afford his soon-to-be $40 million asking price per season. Such a deal would plop the Vikings right back into the Kirk Cousins era of roster construction, hoping to build a Super Bowl-caliber depth chart with a good-but-not-elite quarterback who earns megabucks.
Lewis added another alternative: “They think a better path to building the optimal roster is paying a quarterback like Daniel Jones around $10 million instead of giving Darnold around $35 million. The Vikings’ decision would get tougher if Darnold considered returning for somewhere in the $25 million range.”
Minnesota signed Jones late last season when the New York Giants cut ties. He could reasonably fill “the Darnold role” in 2025, hoping to rekindle his career on a cheap deal with Kevin O’Connell and Co.
Over the weekend, Sportskeeda‘s Tony Pauline claimed Minnesota would likely franchise tag-and-trade Darnold based on rumblings in Indianapolis at the Combine. Soon after, he reversed the reporting. “During my Saturday notes article from the combine, I mentioned reports elsewhere stated the Vikings could pull a tag and trade on Sam Darnold. This morning, a source told me emphatically that they won’t tag the quarterback, and Darnold will hit the free agent market,” Pauline explained.
Couple that knowledge with Lewis’ tidbit, and the situation is somewhat clear: Darnold will probably hit free agency if he doesn’t fancy a team-friendly deal in Minnesota.
It’s also worth wondering what aspect of Darnold’s faceplant the Vikings coaching staff feels responsible for. That’s a new twist this offseason.
Darnold will turn 28 this summer. He posted a career season in 2024, delivering 4,319 passing yards and 36 total touchdowns en route to Minnesota’s unforeseen 14-3 record.
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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