Last offseason, the Minnesota Vikings took a chance on former New York Jets NFL Draft bust Sam Darnold to serve as the bridge quarterback, setting up J.J. McCarthy to be the face of the franchise. While many expected the former No. 3 overall pick to have a bounce-back season under coach Kevin O’Connell, few could have predicted he’d lead the Vikings to a 10-2 record.
Yet, the Vikings only signed Darnold to a one-year contract worth up to $10 million. Heading into the Week 14 NFL schedule with the league’s fifth-most touchdowns, Darnold has set himself up for a massive payday, and chances are it won’t be from the Vikings, who Adam Schefter reported hasn’t even discussed a long-term extension with their current starting QB.
Related: See where Sam Darnold lands in Sportsnaut’s NFL QB Rankings
Sam Darnold’s contract could rival Baker Mayfield’s
Odds are, the Minnesota Vikings won’t enter long-term contract discussions with Sam Darnold, no matter how well he closes out the season, even if that means delivering the first Super Bowl in franchise history. Aside from J.J. McCarthy being Minnesota’s quarterback of the future, the next biggest reason why the Vikings are ready to move on is the drastically rising cost of re-signing Darnold.
According to Bleacher Report’s NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Darnold may have priced himself outside of the Vikings’ budget.
“I think it’s going to be extremely difficult for Minnesota to retain him because of the year he’s had. In my opinion, he’s probably going to garner somewhere along the lines of what Baker Mayfield got: Three years, $100 million, which is probably fair, considering his age. He’s still pretty young, and because of what he’s shown on tape this year.”
Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz on Sam Darnold
It’s becoming clear in league circles that Sam Darnold will command a high price this offseason and could be out of the #Vikings’ budget.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) December 7, 2024
Here’s what could happen at quarterback next season for Kevin O'Connell and Co., via @TheHerd with @colincowherd: pic.twitter.com/zdCzYngTlA
If Darnold had interest in returning as a backup, then perhaps the Vikings would consider signing him. Yet, sticking around as a backup, or even as a threat to McCarthy’s starting job, would be a disservice to the 27-year-old after enjoying a career year.
Related: Minnesota Vikings reportedly had interest in Super Bowl-winning QB before signing Sam Darnold
