Sam Darnold’s Price Tag Takes Shape
For 16 games, Sam Darnold convinced Minnesota Vikings fans that he could possibly take the franchise to the Promised Land.
Sam Darnold’s Price Tag Takes Shape
The veteran passer tallied 4,319 passing yards, 36 total touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 2024, gaining a bit of MVP attention, especially in the season’s first month and throughout December.
But Minnesota collapsed in the final two games, once with a ticket to homefield advantage throughout the playoffs on the line and in the postseason’s 1st-Round. Darnold did little to change that, and in fact, was at the top of the ticket for the two-game meltdown.
Now, Darnold is scheduled to hit free agency. Thanks to ESPN, his price tag is taking shape. Free agency is six weeks away, and according to Jeremy Fowler, Darnold will likely command a “Baker Mayfield-like” contract from a quarterback-needy team.
Fowler wrote Wednesday, “Several execs have Darnold in that Baker Mayfield range of contracts, which is around three years and $100 million with strong guarantees. The Raiders and Giants — both picking outside the top two spots in the draft — might need to pay a quarterback.”
The Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy last April as the quarterback solution of the future, and he appears ready to take the big job after tearing his meniscus last August. Most now believe that Darnold will lead another team in 2025.
Matt Bowen (also of ESPN) added about Darnold’s free agency, “Darnold had a bounce-back year under Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota, as his 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdown throws both ranked fifth in the league. His decision-making late in the down is still questionable, and he had a 14.8 QBR over the Vikings’ two losses to end the season. But with his arm strength and mobility, Darnold will have options on the market given the need for the position across the league.”
Some thought that because Darnold posted fringe MVP numbers, he could earn between $40 and $50 million on the open market. The ESPN tidbit dials that back. On the whole, it’s more likely for a franchise to hand Darnold a “prove-it” contract in the neighborhood of $30 to $35 million than jump in with both feet at $40 to $50 million.
Moreover, Darnold appeared to say goodbye last week to Vikings fans. “Year 7… So grateful for my teammates, coaches, and the entire organization. We created memories and relationships that will last a lifetime and we got to do it in front of the best fanbase in the world #SKOL,” Darnold wrote Friday evening on Instagram.
If Fowler doesn’t have the team right in mentioning the Raiders and Giants, other clubs to monitor amid the Darnold Sweepstakes include the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers.
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.