The Vikings Are a Model for What NOT to Do
Believe it or not, in print and in memes, the Minnesota Vikings are the laughingstock of the NFL. Why? Well, they let go of a productive quarterback in favor of a guy who could be a 1st-Round bust.
The Minnesota Vikings are becoming a model for what not to do, letting go of a sure-thing quarterback and creating a cautionary blueprint for NFL teams.
NFL media have quickly pounced on the Vikings’ offseason decision-making, with no signs of letting up.
Bleacher Report Tells Cautionary Tale about Vikings
Because of course they did.
Alex Kay of BR Dedicates Whole Article to Vikings’ Failures
Kay penned a lengthy article devoted solely to Minnesota’s elephant-in-the-room gaffe: letting Sam Darnold walk.
He explained, “The Vikings should have realized that they had something special with Darnold and never let him get away this past offseason — especially without a surefire star waiting in the wings to replace him. Darnold wasn’t bridging the gap for a proven Pro Bowler working his way back from injury or even keeping the seat warm for a generational prospect taken at the very top of a draft.”
“He was instead excelling in place of J.J. McCarthy, a raw developmental prospect whose career had already taken a wrong turn when a torn meniscus kept him sidelined for his entire rookie year. While Minnesota did invest the No. 10 overall pick into McCarthy, the front office should have known that even the loftiest selections at the quarterback position have historically faced long odds of panning out.”
And, yes, this Darnold blunder is talked about by NFL fans ad nauseam, basically every week. The Seahawks currently hold the NFC’s No. 5 seed through 13 weeks, with a 9-3 record.
… but Sam Darnold Is Crumbling Too
While Darnold has played markedly better than Minnesota’s hodgepodge of J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer, the former Viking has some recent demons, too.
He’s not impeccable; in fact, he’s spinning a similar tale to last year’s.
In 2024, Darnold started the season rather hot, even if Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison often bailed him out on questionable throws. Minnesota thrived with Darnold — until late October or so, when Darnold’s performance dipped a bit.
It set the scene for his eventual [complete and utter] faceplant in the season’s final two games, which could realistically be the subject of a sports horror film.
Quietly — and many don’t care because he no longer plays for the Vikings — Darnold is doing it again. His efficiency has plunged, and no one outside of hardcore Seahawks followers really cares. It’s all sunshine and rainbows with a 9-3 record — like it was sunshine and rainbows for Minnesota last year at 10-2 after 13 weeks.
Here’s the statistical skinny:
Sam Darnold,
EPA+CPOE,
NFL Ranking in 2025:
Week 1-9: 1st
Week 10-14: 22nd
Maybe the Vikings Could Just Draft the Right QB?
The Darnold revisionist history would be wholly moot if McCarthy were not performing like one of the worst quarterbacks of all-time through a passer’s first six starts. McCarthy is posting historically poor numbers, and at times, it seems like his offense merely needs an average signal-caller to win games. The youngster is not providing it.
So, while Minnesota may look foolish for letting Darnold skedaddle to the Emerald City, it could’ve avoided this conundrum by scouting and drafting a better quarterback.
Don’t forget: Darnold played like an unabashed moron when the Vikings needed him the most last season. A total vaporization.
Better Contigency Plan Was Necessary
One item is certain: with McCarthy struggling, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah needed a better contingency plan than Sam Howell after free agency, Carson Wentz late in the summer, and an undrafted free-agent find in Max Brosmer.
Minnesota had a bonanza of QB2s to scour during free agency back in March, including very gettable players like Gardner Minshew, Jameis Winston, Drew Lock, and others. But the Vikings settled on a Sam Howell trade before trading Howell four months later.
Perhaps Adofo-Mensah will learn his insurance policy lesson — if he’s still with the franchise for the 2026 offseason.
More from Kay
Kay also noted, “The Vikings have been learning the hard way that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, having lost two experienced quarterbacks in the span of a single offseason.”
“Despite their stellar campaign with Darnold at the helm and knowing exactly what they had in a 28-year-old on the cusp of free agency, the Vikings ultimately failed to make a strong enough offer to retain the veteran when he hit the open market.”
The next step for Seattle is to determine if Darnold capitulates in the playoffs as he did last year.
“While Darnold’s run in the Twin Cities did finish on a low note when the team lost the battle for the No. 1 seed in the finale and subsequently crashed out in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, the QB still led the team to an impressive 14-3 record (a marked improvement over Minnesota’s 7-10 finish in 2023) and proved himself to be a great fit for the roster,” Kay continued.
“The first-round pick-turned-journeyman clearly worked well within head coach Kevin O’Connell’s system and could have truly blossomed with job security and a full offseason to prepare as the QB1.”
The Seahawks have a 29.0% chance of reaching the Super Bowl, according to DVOA.
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