The Minnesota Vikings let their quarterback, Sam Darnold, hit the market. It automatically means the franchise will not slap him with the $40 million franchise tag. Instead, they are moving forward with the notion – let’s make a deal! We all know that the Vikings reached the playoffs under Darnold. However, it did not compel the team to re-sign him to an extension. Why? It is perhaps because of a record that Darnold can’t erase his name from.
The 27-year-old player, who thinks he is “a good quarterback,” also threw picks as confetti – 68 interceptions in 83 NFL games. So, yeah, because of all these situations, including the salary cap issue and the young QB in line, the Vikings might be considering Darnold differently. So, if released, where would Darnold go? As per new reports, it looks like the QB might want to return to his former team amidst the contract chaos.
In an episode of The Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday, NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah talked about Sam Darnold and the fact that he isn’t franchise-tagged. He didn’t hesitate to point out that this signals the start of J.J. McCarthy’s era in Minnesota. The reason?
Jeremiah expressed, “Well, the J.J. McCarthy era is about to kick off. That’s the takeaway there. I just think if he gets to the market, and he sounds like he is going to get to the market, I don’t think Minnesota would have let it get to that point if they were going to really, really try and make that happen.”
J.J. McCarthy joined the Minnesota Vikings as the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Thus, he remains a critical part of their future. Jeremiah continued, “So, to me, I would guess that Sam Darnold is probably moving on, probably done in Minnesota, and that’s going to be the first domino to actually fall.”
With Matthew Stafford staying put, the market has been quiet. So, the analyst thinks Sam Darnold’s case could be the first major quarterback move for free agency. But, as Jeremiah stated, the domino effect could begin once Darnold finds a new home. So, it became obvious for the host to ask about the potential landing spots for the quarterback. To this, the sports writer said, “I mean, I think, you know, does Sam want to go back to the New York market? I don’t know that he would, but I would think the Giants would be in on that.”
Sam Darnold played with the Jets from 2018 to 2020. So, the QB may want to go back to his familiar place. Now that the Giants team is also open for a new QB, Jeremiah thinks Darnold could return to New York once again – but this time, with the Giants. In addition, the Steelers might also examine him, especially if they decide to go with Justin Fields over Russell Wilson.
Another option? The Colts. By highlighting this home for Sam Darnold, the analyst mentioned he even tweeted about this option. He explained the Colts fans weren’t thrilled with the suggestion, but he made a strong point. If Indy is looking for competition for Anthony Richardson, Darnold might give them a better chance at winning next season. But the landing spot remains a mystery for Darnold, especially when the Vikings are trying further to make his future blur.
Will Sam Darnold remain with the Vikings?
The Vikings made a big statement – no franchise tag for Sam Darnold. That’s a clear sign they continue to shift gears at quarterback. But…But… Instead of locking him in at $40.2 million, they aim for a one-year deal with him worth around $20-25 million. That means about $15 less than the franchise tag. Why? If you ask NFL analyst Thor Nystrom, he sees this as a calculated move.
We all know Sam Darnold’s market isn’t exactly buzzing, so Minnesota might get him at a discount. If they do, he’ll likely compete with J.J. McCarthy, serving as a temporary fix while the rookie gets ready. So, the Vikings are seeing this as a move for their future. But there’s a problem with that too.
Here’s the catch – other teams need quarterbacks, too. If someone else makes a move for Sam Darnold, the Vikings could be in trouble. This off-season is gonna be interesting for sure!
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