The New Frontrunner for Sam Darnold’s Services
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold utterly disintegrated when it mattered the most in 2024, producing woeful performances against the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams with trips to postseason’s Divisional Round on the line.
The New Frontrunner for Sam Darnold’s Services
Before the collapse, Darnold might have been on track for a contract extension in Minnesota, but his recent outings have made the situation muddy.
And according to oddsmakers, there’s a new frontrunner to sign Darnold in two months: the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Draft Network‘s Jaime Eisner tweeted Wednesday with the caveat that the following odds apply if Darnold doesn’t re-sign with the Vikings:
- Steelers (+500)
- Raiders (+550)
- Saints (+600)
- Giants (+650)
- Jets (+700)
- Seahawks (+700)
- Colts (+700)
- Browns (12/1)
- Titans (12/1)
- Dolphins (12/1)
And the Darnold-to-Pittsburgh theory checks out. The Steelers aren’t shy about taking flyers on journeymen veteran passers. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields can tell you all about it. The club drafted Kenny Pickett in Round 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft, dropped him two years later, and signed up for the Wilson + Fields experiment, which flopped in the postseason last weekend, not unlike the Vikings’ meltdown against the Rams.
Darnold accounted for 36 total touchdowns in 2024, along with 4,319 passing yards and 12 interceptions. Through 16 games, the man was a revelation, fully reclaiming his career and positioning himself in line for a contract worth $40-$50 million per season. His two blunders with it all on the line, however, may have reduced his future earnings. Stay tuned.
The 27-year-old critiqued his performance after Monday night’s playoff loss: “It’s up to me to be able to move and still find a window to throw. I’m 100 percent responsible for the football and what happens to it. It’s up to me to be able to feel that and either step up, move, go run for a first down or just simply throw it away. I felt like there were a lot of sacks today that I was responsible for, where I was just holding onto the football and taking sacks where I could have gotten rid of it.”
The Vikings have rookie signal-caller J.J. McCarthy presumably in line to take QB1 reins in 2025, and if the franchise fully trusts his upside and meniscus injury recovery, keeping Darnold around for millions may not make sense. Therefore, landing spots like the Steelers are appropriate.
Darnold could also earn another “bridge quarterback” assignment from Pittsburgh or elsewhere after the playoff stumble this week. Before Week 18, many viewed him as a clear-cut starter in 2025.
Pittsburgh has the 21st overall pick in April’s draft if it prefers a rookie quarterback plan.
Darnold will turn 28 in June.
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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