ClutchPoints
There is no doubt that the Minnesota Vikings had a brilliant regular-season performance in 2024. The overall record of 14-3 tied for the third-best record in the league with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles behind the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions. Little was expected from the Vikings this season because they had given up veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins and had brought in Sam Darnold as his replacement.
Darnold was clearly just another guy when the Vikings signed him to a 1-year, $10 million contract. He had played in the NFL for six seasons with the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers, and he had not distinguished himself at any point. The Vikings looked at Darnold as a placeholder for rookie J.J. McCarthy, who had been selected with the No. 10 selection in the first round of last April’s draft.
McCarthy had led head coach Jim Harbaugh and the University of Michigan to the national championship in 2023 and the Vikings were looking at him to take over as the team’s QB1 because of his skill, arm strength, accuracy and athleticism.
However, McCarthy suffered a torn meniscus in the Vikings in the team’s first preseason game and he missed the entire season. Darnold went from replacement quarterback to QB1 and he outperformed all expectations. He led the Vikings on winning streaks of 5 and 9 games, and he threw for 4,319 yards with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
On the surface, the Vikings have found their quarterback of the present and future because Darnold is 27 years old and has seemingly found his way.
However, it will cost the Vikings big money to bring Darnold back. He may be among 3 key veterans that the Vikings part company in the coming weeks and months.
As the 2025 season rolled along, there were weeks that Darnold did everything that Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell asked and led the team to multiple big victories.
But there are key questions. Can Darnold do it again or was last year something of a fluke? How much do the Vikings have to pay to keep him and will an enormous raise keep them from signing other key players that will help them win playoff games? Is Darnold really a better quarterback than a healthy McCarthy?
There are too many questions that O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have to answer. Darnold is a good quarterback and O’Connell brought the best out of him. However, Darnold struggled in the regular-season finale against the Detroit Lions and the Wild Card playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams.
In a matter of less than a week, the Vikings’ memorable season was short-circuited.
In the end, the cost of bringing Darnold back — at least $35 million per year — will help the Vikings make the decision to let their star quarterback go.
It is a decision that could blow up in...
