Matthew Stafford’s name was dominating the trade discussions this offseason, with reports linking him to multiple teams like the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders all at the same time.
But now that the veteran quarterback has ultimately decided to stay with the Los Angeles Rams with a restructured contract, the demand for other QBs is likely to see an increase, and one of them is PFSN’s 10th-ranked free agent, Sam Darnold, who had a resurgent season last year with the Minnesota Vikings.
Matthew Stafford Re-Signing With Rams Makes Sam Darnold No. 1 QB Available
Darnold is coming off an impressive stint with the Vikings, where he threw for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in what was arguably the best season of his career. His resurgence has made him a hot commodity in free agency, and with Stafford re-signing with the Rams, Darnold’s stock is predicted to rise further, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
“The position the Minnesota Vikings are in with Darnold is interesting, too. They’ve at least discussed the option to franchise tag him, either to keep him or to trade him—and Stafford’s decision to stay in L.A. should only further fuel Darnold’s market.
“Of course, tagging him at $40.242 million is risky in that it ups the floor for a potential long-term deal and doesn’t ensure that a trade partner will be found,” Breer writes.
NFL reporter Ian Rapoport agrees with Breer and believes Darnold is now the No. 1 quarterback available on the market.
“We learned earlier today that Mathew Stafford is staying with the Los Angeles Rams, which means…Sam Darnold is now the No. 1 quarterback available.
“…The Vikings need to make a decision: do they franchise tag Sam Darnold? There are some possibilities here. They could franchise tag him and keep him. Have J.J. McCarthy there, highly touted, now going to be a second-year quarterback. They can tag him with intent to trade him.”
From our Combine coverage: With Matthew Stafford off the table, all eyes turn to Sam Darnold, the top QB available. A walk-through the #Vikings options. pic.twitter.com/0EGgMhmdpd
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 1, 2025
The Vikings took J.J. McCarthy with the 10th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, believing he could be their franchise quarterback. However, a knee injury derailed his rookie season before he could even take the field.
While Darnold stepped up in his absence and had the best season of his career, keeping him because of a one-year sample size of success against multiple years of struggles isn’t a lucrative option either.
Minnesota has more than $59 million in space under the salary cap, good enough for seventh-most in the NFL. Re-signing Darnold would soak up most of that space, limiting the team’s ability to sign multiple big names in free agency.
On the other hand, the 22-year-old McCarthy brings a tantalizing upside to the table. In his final season with the Michigan Wolverines, McCarthy led the Big Ten in passer efficiency rating (167.4) and adjusted passing yards per attempt (9.8) en route to the 2023 national championship.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has remained tight-lipped about the team’s plans for the quarterback room. The situation promises to be one of the most closely watched QB competitions in the NFL this offseason, and with Stafford off the board, the Vikings’ chances of finding a trade partner have also increased. Therefore, a decision should be coming fairly soon.