Sam Darnold entered free agency last offseason as one of the bigger draft busts in the last 10 years. Coming off a breakout season with the Minnesota Vikings, the Pro Bowl quarterback is now poised to cash in with a multi-year deal in NFL free agency.
Just a year ago, Minnesota signed Darnold to a one-year contract worth $10 million total. The former third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft was expected to compete for the starting job, likely with a rookie. When J.J. McCarthy required season-ending knee surgery after his first preseason game, Darnold stepped in seamlessly.
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- Sam Darnold stats 2024 (ESPN): 4,319 passing yards, 35-12 TD-INT, 66.2% completion rate, 7.9 yards per attempt, 102.5 QB rating, 212 rushing yards, 1 TD
He was even considered an NFL MVP candidate after December. Through his first 16 games as the Vikings starting quarterback, he posted a 35-12 TD-INT line with a 68.1 percent completion rate and a 106.4 QB rating. Darnold was in line to hit free agency with some estimates projecting him to land a multi-year deal worth $45 million per season.
All of that changed in his final two starts. Against the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams, Darnold had a 66.4 QB rating and completed just 53.1 percent of his passes. It’s expected to have a significant impact on the contract offers he receives in free agency, but it seems like it won’t scare teams away.
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According to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, the talk around the league during the NFL Combine was that the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants are the “two likeliest landing spots” for Darnold. In addition, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans have been mentioned as two clubs to monitor for his services.
Minnesota would still like to re-sign Darnold, likely tying into NFL rumors that McCarthy still needs to put on more muscle this offseason. However, the team is only willing to retain the Pro Bowl quarterback if his market is weak enough to push his contract demands into their price range.
New York and Las Vegas both had to pivot to Darnold after the Los Angeles Rams took Matthew Stafford off the trade block. Darnold’s free-agent market will also have a significant impact on the top of the 2025 NFL Draft as New York, Las Vegas and Tennessee are all in the mix to take one of the two top quarterback prospects.
