Sam Darnold signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings this past offseason. The move to Minnesota turned out to be the best decision of his career as he completely changed the narrative around him.
Darnold has led the Vikings to a 12-2 record, and the team is a Super Bowl contender. After this season, however, Darnold will be a free agent, and the Vikings are unlikely to sign him after drafting J.J. McCarthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Colin Cowherd Suggests New Team for Sam Darnold
Darnold could possibly sign a Baker Mayfield-esque deal this offseason, but his ability to replicate his success with the Vikings depends on the team he ends up on.
Sports broadcaster Colin Cowherd recently talked about the Vikings’ QB and picked an AFC team to make a run at him in free agency.
“Minnesota has a tough decision,” said Cowherd. “They brought Daniel Jones in, they drafted J.J. McCarthy, it is likely that they’re going to let Sam Darnold become, you know, a free agent… Sam Darnold is only 27 years old, so somebody is going to get a very good quarterback in his prime, a big, strong, mobile, playmaker, coachable kid.”
Cowherd mentioned that next year Darnold cannot play like he has in Minnesota since he won’t have Kevin O’Connell to coach him and players like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison around him.
Meanwhile, the Fox Sports analyst believes the Indianapolis Colts will be an ideal landing spot for the 27-year-old quarterback.
Cowherd added, “I look around at all the teams that could get Sam Darnold, and I’m like, there’s one exception, the Indianapolis Colts. Anthony Richardson has had 14 starts, he completes 50% of his throws, it’s a hard decision. Sometimes, you just got to say it’s not working.”
"There is one place where Sam Darnold can go and it's going to look closest to this."
— @ColinCowherd makes the case for the Indianapolis Colts pic.twitter.com/2ypAaakvtQ
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) December 17, 2024
Cowherd mentioned that the AFC South is a winnable division, and Colts head coach Shane Steichen will be a pretty good option for Darnold.
Steichen’s work with Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia was truly remarkable. Anthony Richardson has failed to live up to expectations and has played like one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL. Yet, the Colts are 6-8 and could easily have a better record with better QB play.
Should the Colts Move On From Anthony Richardson?
The Colts drafted Richardson at No. 4 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. In 14 games so far in his career, he’s thrown for 2,260 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. And as Cowherd mentioned, the 22-year-old has completed just 50.1% of his throws.
Richardson was drafted high just based on potential. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to develop into the quarterback many thought he could be, and it might be time for the Colts to at least consider other options.
Getting Darnold would be a smart decision and a good insurance policy. If the Vikings star continues to play well next season, the Colts could then trade Richardson to recoup some draft capital.
Indianapolis doesn’t have Addison and Jefferson, but players like Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and Adonai Mitchell form a solid supporting cast. With slightly better QB play, a division title this year could have been in play.
It’s still hard to say that the Colts should definitely part ways with Richardson due to his scary potential, but the team has to bring in someone to compete with their current starter.