Out of nowhere, the Minnesota Vikings became one of the NFL’s best teams in 2024. Much of their success was credited to Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell getting a career year out of former No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold.
Yet, now Darnold, who’s set to turn 28 in June, will become a free agent. That is, unless the Vikings decide to use the franchise tag on the Pro Bowl quarterback. Doing so would cost the team over $40 million in 2025, but they’d also get their starting quarterback, who won 14 games back.
However, that doesn’t seem to be the direction the team is leaning in.
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Minnesota Vikings ‘more likely’ to let Sam Darnold leave
The Minnesota Vikings traded up to select J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The former Michigan star may have seen some regular season snaps had he not suffered a season-ending knee injury during the preseason.
However, McCarthy’s absence firmly entrenched Sam Darnold as the starter, and he never looked back. Yet, now that Darnold’s value is at an all-time high, people want to know whether the Vikings would be bold enough to move on from him.
However, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, the Vikings are leaning toward moving on from Darnold this offseason rather than applying their franchise tag on him.
“Using the tag on quarterback Sam Darnold would be an expensive way of ensuring his return while avoiding a longer-term commitment that would hinder J.J. McCarthy’s eventual ascension. It could also be a way to elicit additional value by way of a trade, but that would require a knowledge that multiple teams would be willing to bid. In the end, the Vikings seem more likely to let Darnold sign elsewhere and preserve their tag for a player such as cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., who had a career-high six interceptions in 2024 and is hitting his prime at age 27. If nothing else, it would give the Vikings time to sign Murphy to a longer-term deal while keeping him off the market.”
ESPN on Sam Darnold/Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings are in a unique scenario thanks to the presence of McCarthy. They certainly don’t have to sign Darnold to a new contract, yet moving on after such a successful season seems like a risky play too.
Yet, when other factors, such as the salary cap, are involved, the Vikings have to consider the most optimal path to building a Super Bowl contender, and paying Darnold may not be in the cards.
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