Perhaps the biggest surprises throughout the first half of the 2024 NFL season have been Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco.
Darnold is on his fourth NFL team in seven years, and he’s playing the best football of his professional career. Flacco is turning back the clock and recently replaced Anthony Richardson as the Colts’ starting QB. Former NFL defensive end and current analyst Akbar Gbajabiamila recently praised the veteran QBs and weighed in on which story is better.
Akbar Gbajabiamila Believes Sam Darnold Has a Better Story Than Joe Flacco
Darnold and Flacco have exceeded all expectations this season.
At 27 years old, Darnold is finally realizing the potential that got him drafted No. 3 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. This season, Darnold has thrown for 1,610 yards, 14 touchdowns, and five interceptions on a career-high 67.2% completion percentage.
He’s in the best situation of his career, with talented weapons (Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones, etc.) and excellent coaching (head coach Kevin O’Connell). Perhaps most impressive is that Darnold has led the Vikings to a 5-2 start.
Meanwhile, for the second season in a row, the 39-year-old Flacco is proving that he still has plenty left in the tank despite being in his 17th NFL season. Across four games (including two starts) this season, Flacco has thrown for 716 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception with a 65.7% completion percentage.
During a recent episode of the “Good Morning Football” podcast, the hosts wondered who has the better story: Darnold or Joe Flacco?
Hear why @Akbar_Gbaja believes Sam Darnold is the better story this season than Joe Flacco.
Check it out on the latest episode of our podcast 🎙️⬇️https://t.co/YGNn3VAnVa pic.twitter.com/lGdfWhDDNn
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) October 31, 2024
Gbajabiamila, who played for the Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, and Miami Dolphins throughout his NFL career, went with Darnold.
“I think it’s Sam Darnold,” Gbajabiamila said. “I think his story, to me, is this resurgence story. He was a guy who was kind of put off. They thought, ‘OK, he’ll just be our temporary starter until J.J. McCarthy gets going.’ But then, of course, J.J. McCarthy gets hurt, and then they’re sitting here at 5-2. He’s led this team to a 5-2 start.
“Now, I know the last couple of weeks have been a little rough for them, but we can’t overlook the fact that this was a quarterback that many people thought was a 1997 lemon. … like, ‘Ah, that doesn’t work anymore.’ And, you know, we all have the mechanics in the neighborhood, and mine was Mechanic Tyrone. Mechanic Tyrone always said, ‘Oh, boy, all you need is a little catalytic converter right there! Let me see; just pop this thing right here,’ and boom, boom, boom. That’s what Kevin O’Connell was.
“Kevin O’Connell is the mechanic [who fixed Darnold]. Now you’re like, ‘Man, this thing has got speed, it’s got some agility, it’s got some accuracy, and the wheel alignment …’ And he’s got the Minnesota Vikings going straight!
“Now, I look at Joe Flacco, and it’s cool! He reminds me of my mom’s 1985 Volvo 240. It’s consistent. You know what to expect. It’s gonna get you from Point A to Point B, and I think that’s better than maybe a car breaking down like what we’ve had with Anthony Richardson.”
Darnold’s success is a bit more surprising, as he has never had a season like this throughout his NFL career.
Flacco’s story, on the other hand, is a sequel. He is coming off a similar run with the Cleveland Browns that saw him lead the team to the playoffs and win the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award last season.
One thing is for certain: Darnold and Flacco are arguably the biggest bargains in the NFL. Both veterans have a $5 million cap hit for this season, which ranks 32nd among all quarterbacks.
For context, backups like Dallas Cowboys QB Trey Lance ($5.3 million), Washington Commanders QB Marcus Mariota ($6 million), Denver Broncos QB Jarrett Stidham ($7 million), and New England Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett ($7.8 million) all have higher cap hits than Darnold and Flacco this year.
Comparing Darnold and Flacco’s PFN QB+ Grades
PFN’s QB+ metric grades each NFL quarterback’s individual performance as well as their season-long production. Who has the higher season-long grade: Darnold or Flacco?
Flacco’s PFN QB+ season-long grade is currently a B (65.2), which is eighth-best among all quarterbacks. Our analysts point out that Flacco’s experience has been on display in both clutch situations and when converting on third downs.
Also, as the eye test has shown, Flacco has consistently performed better than Richardson, who ranks 32nd among all quarterbacks this season with an F grade (27.0).
Meanwhile, Darnold has a very similar rating to Flacco, as he currently has a B- grade (60.5) for the season.
Our analysts note that Darnold is fifth in net yards per pass attempt and fourth in passing touchdowns per game, but he is still struggling a little when throwing under pressure (ranking 18th), and his clutch numbers could improve across the board. However, the overall result is on the upper end of his potential range of outcomes.
This week, Darnold’s Vikings and Flacco’s Colts will face off on “Sunday Night Football.” Darnold and Flacco were teammates on the 2020 New York Jets, but now they’re squaring off.
It’s safe to say that both Darnold and Flacco have been pleasant surprises that nobody saw coming. Both are silencing their doubters with their play this season, and it will be interesting to see if they can continue producing at this level down the stretch.