A June report from Michael Silver of The Athletic indicated the Vikings did not make a multiyear offer to quarterback Sam Darnold, who parlayed a surprising run as Minnesota’s starting signal-caller in 2024 into a three-year, $100.5MM free agent contract with the Seahawks this offseason. As the ‘Hawks and Vikes prepare to face each other on Sunday, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (video link) provides some additional context.
According to Pelissero, the Vikings did, in fact, make an offer very similar to the one the Seahawks made. Pelissero acknowledges that the offer only contained a one-year commitment, but the contract Seattle authorized for Darnold also includes a “pay-as-you-go” structure. Indeed, the only guaranteed compensation for future years that Darnold presently enjoys is a $17.5MM injury guarantee, which does not convert to a full guarantee until after Super Bowl LX.
So, depending on how one plays with semantics, Silver’s and Pelissero’s respective reports are not necessarily contradictory; after all, neither Seattle nor Minnesota made Darnold an offer that tethered them to the USC product beyond 2025, even if their respective proposals were multiyear commitments on paper. Pelissero says the only reason the Vikings did not increase their offer was not because of Darnold’s disappointing end to the 2024 campaign, but because of their faith in J.J. McCarthy (although the team may be regretting that decision at the moment).
From Darnold’s perspective, with money being more or less equal, the Seahawks were a more logical destination, since McCarthy’s presence and status as a 2024 first-rounder represented more of a threat than anyone Seattle had on its depth chart at the time. The ‘Hawks did add Jalen Milroe in the third round of the 2025 draft, but he was always viewed as a player who would take some time to develop.
Despite a nightmarish, four-interception outing in a narrow loss to the Rams in Week 11, Darnold largely has justified his contract and appears to be in line to unlock his 2026 payout. Seattle boasts an 8-3 record, and Darnold presently sits fourth in the league in terms of traditional quarterback rating (106.2) and sixth in QBR (69.4).
I don’t believe this for a second. I feel like this is pure cover by the Vikings because of how JJ is playing
Someone on here said fire Kevin O’Connell….please do! Would love him taking over the Falcons next season
I did it. I said fire koc. You can have him. The Vikings just had the ball at 4th and one. They have a rookie qb making his VERY FIRST START. The coach calls a pass play instead of putting in extra linemen and pounding the ball. The rookie qb makes a mistake and it results in a 90+ yard interception return because his coach put him in a bad position. When Bijan Robinson is averaging over 5 yards a carry and koc is passing 30+ times you will understand.
You did say it. More than once.
Except it is not the Vikings saying it now. They said it back before Darnold left. So you might want to ask Santa for a new BS detector as yours is clearly broken. A one year deal essentially would have made sense for MN.
I think this would’ve come out last offseason if true at all. Complete BS arse covering.
I think most of these “after the fact” articles fall into the damage control realm with someone presenting a “spin” or “alternative narrative” to save face.
Except this is not after the fact he is reporting on wheat happened before Sam left.
What “supposedly” happened…same thing.
Yeah right, they offered him the same and then told him we are fully committed to JJ? that doesnt even make sense.
They offered him pretty much a fully guaranteed one-year deal, probably on the same terms as 2024, though for a lot more money: “You’ll probably start this year (which is why we’re paying you a LOT more money than even top-of-the-line back-ups like Mariota, Brissett and Taylor), while our QBOTF, this time healthy (knock on wood), sits on the bench.”