One Team Keeps Popping Up as Sam Darnold’s Next Employer
Sam Darnold provided the Minnesota Vikings with 4,319 passing yards, 36 total touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 2024, along with a 14-3 record and a one-and-done showing in the playoffs.
One Team Keeps Popping Up as Sam Darnold’s Next Employer
His teammate, J.J. McCarthy, is on deck to eventually take over the QB1 job as early as next season, so Darnold’s stay in the Twin Cities may be limited to one year.
And with his free-agent sweepstakes heating up, one team keeps emerging as his next employer — the Las Vegas Raiders. A week and a half ago, ESPN predicted the Raiders as Darnold’s next team, and this week, Pro Football Focus followed suit.
PFF’s Mason Cameron predicted landing spots for the league’s top free agents on Tuesday, and for Darnold, the Raiders got the nod. “The new Raiders front office has a crucial decision to make under center this offseason, and they have the requisite cap space to facilitate a deal. Without top-five draft capital, making a play for one of the top quarterback draft prospects appears out of reach, likely lending itself to the Raiders making a strong offer,” Cameron wrote.
Heading into the 2024 regular season, Las Vegas was the only NFL team without a long-term plan at quarterback, only featuring Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. Unsurprisingly, the season didn’t go well, finishing 4-13.
Cameron also mentioned the Vikings for a Darnold sequel, “This list features primarily new landing spots, but the Vikings would be remiss if they didn’t explore the avenues to retain Darnold — or, at the very least, not allow him to walk for nothing. Kevin O’Connell was able to tap into what made Darnold such a sought-after draft prospect in 2018, so the quarterback could be a candidate for a franchise tag with a possible trade to follow.”
On January 21st, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler also connected Darnold to the Raiders. “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.
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.”
Other teams, too, such as the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Seattle Seahawks, could also consider Darnold’s impending free agency.
Darnold’s next contract will far outshine his 2024 deal. The Vikings paid him $10 million for one season, while most NFL pundits believe Darnold can earn between $30-$45 million annually this year from open free agency.
So, circle the Raiders as a quasi-frontrunner for his services. The media powers that be keep saying the same thing.
Darnold will 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.
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