The Vikings are facing a crucial offseason decision with Sam Darnold, who played like a top-five quarterback for most of the regular season before collapsing against the Lions and the Rams to end the year.
After proving himself on a one-year, $10MM deal in 2024, Darnold will be looking to cash in with a strong long-term contract, in Minnesota or elsewhere. The Vikings, meanwhile, are expecting 2024 No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy to recover from his torn meniscus in time for training camp.
Darnold’s flashes of high-level play mixed with late-season struggles under pressure create a complex situation for the Vikings. They clearly see the younger, cheaper McCarthy as their long-term quarterback, but his injury cost him a crucial year of development, while Darnold proved he can play well enough to make the postseason in his stead.
Minnesota has yet to decide on Darnold’s future, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, but they are open to re-signing him after a successful debut season under Kevin O’Connell. The Vikings have just over $58MM in 2025 cap space, but Darnold isn’t their only concern. Several starters, including left tackle Cam Robinson, cornerback Byron Murphy, and running back Aaron Jones are set to hit free agency. However, none of those players are expected to merit the franchise or transition tag, which remains in play for Darnold.
Darnold’s value will be a subject of debate leading up to the new league year. Unsurprisingly, agents and team executives disagree on his worth. The former group believes Darnold shouldn’t accept anything less than the four-year, $160MM contract Daniel Jones received from the Giants, while the latter has compared his situation to Baker Mayfield and his three-year, $100MM deal with the Buccaneers.
If Darnold is pushing for a contract similar to Jones’, the Vikings may be best served by a year-to-year approach. The franchise tag, projected by OverTheCap to be $41.3MM, may be too expensive, but the $35.3MM transition tag might be an appropriate middle ground. Darnold could test his market, while the Vikings would retain the ability to match another team’s offer. The Raiders and the Giants have already been mentioned as potential fits for Darnold, per Fowler, given their need at quarterback and available cap space.
Unless he’s willing to take what he got last year the Vikings will be moving on. Darnold played well (until he didn’t) but there’s simply no reason to pay a stop gap QB that kind of money when the entire goal of this upcoming year is getting JJM ready to take over.
Definitely, but they could still tag him. I think they should move on though. I don’t see him replicating this season’s success. I’m sure we all remember how Nick Foles followed up his 26 TD/2 INT season.
The Vikings were constantly re-adjusting contracts when Cousins was with the team so it should be possible to keep Darnold around as an insurance policy. If they are going to jettison anyone from their QB room it should be Jones.
4 years at $160 mil? It was way too much for Daniel Jones, and it’s way too much for Sam Darnold
If it’s the Mayfield deal, it’s only 3 years $100 million, and the salary cap next year is expected to be at least about 18% higher than it was when Jones signed his deal, so even the exact same deal as Jones would be a lesser deal.
It’s the going rate for avg NFL starting QB, it’s what the market will bare. #s are ridiculous n off 1 good season is crazy.
He also has some leverage because a lot of teams need quarterbacks and there aren’t a lot of good options on the market or in the draft.
Darnold at least showed the possibility of what he can do. The Giants bid against themselves and lost.
the only way the Vikings resign Darnold is if he takes another one year 10 million contract…and he’s not going to do that. he raised his value thanks to KOC and some stupid team without the proper infrastructure will sign him for a Mayfield-esque contract. the Vikings MIGHT franchise tag him if they can get a couple teams into a bidding war. I wouldn’t take that chance. they finally have decent cap space – why waste it on a backup quarterback. JJ McCarthy is starting in 2025.
You can be bearish on Darnold without labeling him a backup. It’s hard to claim he’s not even one of the top 30 quarterbacks in the league after last year, even if he needed strong coaching and playmakers to play as well as he did.
but he can’t complete a slant…that is a problem. he’s a backup at best
lol “at best”?
I fear that he’ll drop hard because no other place he could go had the weapons he had this year
That won’t stop Purdy from getting paid.
What evidence exists that McCarthy will be better than the Jets or Panthers version of Darnold, to say nothing of the Vikings version?
Maybe he’ll be great, I have no idea, but it’s amazing to me how these QB’s of the future are always automatic…until they aren’t.
What about the transition tag, Vikings fans? That’s an average of the top 10 salaries – so 34m – but no compensation if he walks
I get they drafted their “QB of the future” last year but I don’t see this as cut and dry like most do that the Vikings should just move on. Maybe they like what they see in McCarthy I don’t know but he’s an unproven QB on a win now team. If it were me I’d give him a Baker type money and let them compete. The Packers have had success developing QBs in this fashion. Biggest concern is McCarthy isn’t what they hoped and the Vikings plummet with no viable QB option.
The Giants should offer a 1 year contract for a lower base amount but heavy on incentives that could put it over the $40M mark. Its not like he has a 5 year track record of competence, especially one outside of MN which is set up to make a QB look good. Even if he plays very well no way he puts up the same #’s he did there in NY.
Problem is, he won’t take it…in part because the Giants already made the mistake paying Jones that crazy amount for so very little. Every borderline QB and backup owes a debt of gratitude to Jones for what they’ll be getting.
This is silly money for Darnold. The formula to stop Darnold is clear now. Fluster him and make him see ghosts. He melts down. Best skill players, best offensive line, Sam can wow. Those top skill players and linemen cost big money in their own right. Teams can’t pay for it all.