The Minnesota Vikings are focused on the task at hand: defeating the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round on Monday night. Still, there’s a question looming much larger over the Vikings’ organization: Who is their quarterback of the future?
After rookie J.J. McCarthy sustained a season-ending injury before Week 1, it was announced former No. 3 pick Sam Darnold would lead the charge for Minnesota. Considering his struggles as a starter and eventual backup roles, expectations were justifiably low.
Instead, Darnold shocked the NFL world by leading Minnesota to a 14-3 record and nearly the No. 1 seed in the NFC. It’s hard to imagine the front office allowing the breakout QB to walk in free agency, but with the 21-year-old McCarthy on the bench, there’s no telling which route the team will take.
NFL Analyst Weighs In on Sam Darnold’s Future
Many feel it would be foolish to move on from Darnold following a season of 4,319 passing yards and 36 total touchdowns. A handful of teams would emerge as potential suitors for the 27-year-old passer, but chances are it never gets to that point.
NFL analyst Erik Beatson of Bleacher Report predicted the Vikings will franchise tag Darnold.
“There is no way the Minnesota Vikings let Sam Darnold walk this offseason,” Beatson wrote. “With renewed confidence and a system under head coach Kevin O’Connell that suits his strengths, Darnold reminded everyone why he was considered such a hot prospect coming out of USC.”
There is one major concern with Darnold, which is he crumbled in the most important game of the season against the Detroit Lions in Week 18. Minnesota was blown out 31-9, as he finished with 166 passing yards, no touchdowns, and an abysmal completion percentage. If that same version of Darnold shows up against the Rams, it could greatly alter his future in the league.
A playoff collapse could leave a sour aftertaste from a strong regular season. Darnold finished 12th in PFN’s QB+ metric, exceeding every expectation and earning himself another NFL contract.
“While the Vikings did select Michigan’s JJ McCarthy 10th overall in last spring’s NFL Draft, there is plenty of opportunity for the former Wolverine to learn behind Darnold so that when his time comes to be the unquestioned starter, he can step in and be more prepared than he may have been otherwise,” Beatson wrote. “Or the team can explore a trade with a quarterback-hungry club.”
In this scenario, the Vikings essentially take the same route the Green Bay Packers went with Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love. Except Darnold isn’t in the same conversation as Rodgers as a mentor, even after a stellar 2024 campaign.
“Whatever the case, expect the Vikings to exercise the franchise tag that OverTheCap.com estimates could land Darnold just over $41 million in 2025, which is far from a bad number for the organization if he can repeat his level of play from 2024,” Beatson concluded.
Darnold may have already punched his ticket to return in 2025, but it’s a contract situation handmade for constant discourse. As the eyes of the football world descend upon Minnesota’s Wild Card contest, Darnold has one more audition in front of him.