Daily Norseman
Kwesi is up next, then free agency!
KOC got his well deserved extension and Kwesi’s deal is being discussed now. I expect an extension for Kwesi to be announced soon. His drafting has left a lot to be desired but the team has been successful nonetheless. He deserves his share of credit and an extension keeps the program intact. I am leaning heavily towards the team moving on from Sam Darnold and rolling with JJ McCarthy next year with a veteran QB backing him up and I do not expect that QB to be Daniel Jones. It is risky and a rolling of the dice but they may as well go for it now.
Sam Darnold Predicted to Ditch Vikings for Monster Deal in AFC
“All it takes is one suitor to drive Darnold’s market to the point where it’s cost prohibitive for Minnesota to retain him. And the numbers favor Darnold — at least five teams selecting in the top 10 of the NFL draft need a quarterback during a year when the supply doesn’t meet the demand. Darnold is the clear-cut No. 1 quarterback in free agency,” Fowler wrote. “Enter [the] Las Vegas [Raiders], which endured arguably the league’s worst quarterback situation in 2024. … Most execs polled believe Darnold belongs in the Geno Smith/Baker Mayfield class of contracts, somewhere in the range of three years and $100 million.”
Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently predicted Darnold’s market value at a considerably higher price point than did the executives who spoke with Fowler, projecting a three-year deal valued at $123.75 million ($41.25 million per season) with $70 million guaranteed.
“The debate surrounding Darnold in the 2025 offseason will likely focus on whether he can be more than just a bridge quarterback,” PFF wrote. “While his raw stats look impressive … his performance in key areas is more mixed, with 31 big-time throws balanced by 21 turnover-worthy plays.”
Spotrac went even further, projecting Darnold will ink a four-year, $160 million contract somewhere this offseason.
Along with that, a salary of $33-$41 million annually would render Darnold’s pay somewhere between roughly 50-67 percent of the highest QB contract in the league currently, which belongs to Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys. As such, if Darnold is only the 15th-best quarterback in the NFL next season, a team is still getting somewhere between correct financial value and a bargain by inking him at a price point in that range.
As head jobs disappear, Brian Flores seems likely to return to Vikings in 2025
Brian Flores appears to be on the verge of being passed over for a second straight offseason in his pursuit of another NFL head coaching job. The Vikings’ defensive coordinator has interviewed with three teams—New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Chicago Bears—for their head coach vacancies. One (the Bears) has already filled the role, while the other two have moved on to a second round of interviews without Flores.
*“I’ve never seen...
