The Big Sam Darnold Report Is Finally Here

The Minnesota Vikings are the team to watch when it comes to quarterback movement in the NFL offseason. Signal-caller Sam Darnold is coming off a Pro Bowl season and might be available to the highest bidder when free agency opens.

The Big Sam Darnold Report Is Finally Here

The Vikings have hinted at him becoming a free agent, but nothing has been confirmed. The franchise tag and a contract extension are technically still among the possible outcomes.

On Monday night, however, things have changed. The big names in the reporting industry confirmed that the franchise tag is off the table.

Adam Schefter on X: “Vikings QB Sam Darnold is unlikely to be franchise tagged ahead of Tuesday’s 4 pm ET deadline, per league sources. Minnesota still is interested in working to re-sign Darnold, but it is likely to be without any tag.”

With the franchise tag deadline approaching, the Vikings reportedly decided to let him test the market. A tag would secure his rights for the 2025 campaign. In the meantime, last year’s first-round pick, J.J. McCarthy, is hoping to get the opportunity to start next season and beyond.

Fellow insider Ian Rapoport posted, “The Vikings are not expected to franchise tag QB Sam Darnold by Tuesday’s deadline, per me and Tom Pelissero. But all parties are working through options to potentially keep him in Minnesota. Darnold, who is set to hit free agency, has a situation best described as fluid.”

Of course, the Vikings could still hand their 2024 hero a contract extension. After a Pro Bowl season with 35 passing touchdowns in which he guided the club to a 14-3 record, he has earned a significant raise from the $10 million salary.

Potential destinations for him are the Tennessee Titans, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Las Vegas Raiders, the New York Giants, and, ironically, the New York Jets, where he once started his career as a third-overall pick and ultimate bust. The Vikings might also be interested in swallowing the pay raise just to ensure continuity at the quarterback position.

The Athletic’s Alec Lewis chimed in: “This has always been about two things: What Sam Darnold’s market ultimately looked like (teams/$), and all of the holes the Vikings know they have to fill elsewhere (IOL, CB, IDL, RB, S) with only four picks in ’25. Those are the guiding factors in what ultimately will happen.”

Indeed, the Vikings have around $63 million to close numerous roster holes. The secondary needs to be rebuilt, a new running back has to be signed, and reinforcements along the offensive and defensive lines are necessary to make the next step and finally win the first playoff game since January 2020.

Spending $35 million to keep Darnold in the building while the successor is already in the building feels like malpractice rather than the Moneyball approach GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was hired for.

At the end of the day, the situation is, as Rapoport put it, fluid. The Vikings might decide to spend that money, but the more likely scenario is for Darnold to remain a one-year chapter in the Vikings’ history book.

Darnold’s representation is allowed to negotiate with other organizations on March 10th. Two days later, he is allowed to sign a contract.

Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt