Total Pro Sports
Two surprise teams have been mentioned as possible landing spots for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold in free agency.
Sam Darnold had a career year after signing a one-year deal with the Vikings last year, completing 66.2 percent of pass attempts for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Minnesota finished 14-3 in the regular season, their best mark since 1998, but fell to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round.
Darnold’s disappointing performance in the postseason, coupled with the presence of 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, means the Vikings are unlikely to retain the veteran. And since he just broke out at the age of 27, it’s difficult to analyze Darnold’s potential free agent market.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, multiple NFL executives believe Darnold will get something close to the three-year, $100 million extension Baker Mayfield signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year.
Additionally, Fowler mentioned the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants as potential landing spots for Sam Darnold:
“Several execs have Darnold in that Baker Mayfield range of contracts, which is around three years and $100 million with strong guarantees. The Raiders and Giants — both picking outside the top two spots in the draft — might need to pay a quarterback.”
DARNOLD JETTAS 52-YARD TD 🚨
📺: #ATLvsMIN on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/ZywUjIuoD4— NFL (@NFL) December 8, 2024
The Raiders will likely eye a new quarterback following the lackluster production of Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew II. The Giants released Daniel Jones late in the season and finished the year with backup Drew Lock, who obviously isn’t a long-term solution.
If the Raiders, Vikings and Giants aren’t interested in Darnold, there are still several other potential and realistic landing spots. The Pittsburgh Steelers will need a new QB if they don’t retain Justin Fields or Russell Wilson, both pending free agents.
The Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans also need a new quarterback and could target a veteran like Darnold if they don’t like the top QB prospects in the draft. What about the New York Jets if they cut ties with Aaron Rodgers? Or the Seattle Seahawks if they move on from Geno Smith?
