No one expected this type of performance from Sam Darnold this season.
The former first-round quarterback, who has bounced around from the New York Jets to the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers, has revitalized his career with the Minnesota Vikings. Darnold has led Minnesota to a 7-2 record, posting a career-high completion percentage of 68.6%, with 2,141 passing yards, 17 touchdowns (his most since throwing 19 in 2019), and a career-best 99.2 passer rating.
He signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings, and with first-round pick JJ McCarthy recovering from a torn meniscus, it remains unclear what Darnold’s future holds in Minnesota.
Related: See where Sam Darnold lands in Sportsnaut’s NFL QB Rankings
Where will Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold end up next season?
ESPN NFL insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano recently debated Darnold’s potential landing spots for next year. While they laughed off a return to the Jets, two interesting teams emerged in their discussion.
“Let’s go with the Titans. I’ve identified at least six teams that either need a bridge quarterback or could entertain the notion soon. The Titans are in the latter category. Will Levis has the next eight games to show he can be the long-term answer at quarterback. Maybe he proves the Titans right. But if his penchant for interceptions reemerges, the Titans will need contingencies in 2025,” said Fowler. “Darnold is a proven commodity who would give Tennessee a bridge starter option while it continues to develop Levis or selects a quarterback high in the 2025 draft. So in this scenario, he would be the starter for coach Brian Callahan.”
Graziano, however, offered a surprising alternative.
“The Jets are the objectively hilarious destination — they drafted him in 2018 and moved on after three seasons. But my wild-card pick here is the Rams, assuming Matthew Stafford decides to move on (which I’m not reporting, but Stafford is obviously year-to-year at this point of his career),” noted Graziano. “Darnold had a nice season with Kyle Shanahan in a backup role in San Francisco last season and has obviously done well with Kevin O’Connell this year, so he knows the basics of the offense Sean McVay runs. And McVay is the kind of coach — like Shanahan and O’Connell — who would design things to make Darnold as comfortable as possible and put him in the best position to succeed.”
According to Graziano, the Vikings had initially planned to start Darnold and then transition to McCarthy at some point during the season, but those plans changed when the rookie was sidelined with a season-ending knee injury.
Darnold won’t be thinking about the future this Sunday when the Vikings face the Tennessee Titans on the road as six-point favorites.