MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - DECEMBER 29: Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings leaves the field after beating the Green Bay Packers 27-25 at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 29, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images)
Vikings QB Sam Darnold Breaks Silence on Future Amid Mixed Free Agency Forecast.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold is hitting free agency after setting career-highs with 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdowns on 66.2% completion in 2024.
He was fifth in TD passes, eighth in attempts, and ninth in completions. With such a strong profile, Darnold seems poised to set the market among quarterbacks in free agency this coming offseason.
In his first public comments since the season ended, Darnold said he has thought about his future. But he would not divulge his plans.
“I’ve put a little bit of thought into it. I’m not going to share anything about, kind of, what I’ve been thinking or, obviously, the conversations I’ve had behind closed doors,” Darnold said on “SiriusXM NFL Radio” on January 31. “There’s obviously, a lot that’s going to happen still, even after the Super Bowl. So [I’m] just going to continue to talk to my agent and figure things out from there.”
“Darnold had a bounce-back year under Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota, as his 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdown throws both ranked fifth in the league,” ESPN’s Matt Bowen wrote on January 29. “His decision-making late in the down is still questionable, and he had a 14.8 QBR over the Vikings’ two losses to end the season. But with his arm strength and mobility, Darnold will have options on the market given the need for the position across the league.”
He seemed destined to find a significant payday. Darnold is still expected to see a raise from his one-year, $10 million contract. However, Darnold’s performance in the Vikings’ final two games has created doubt among potential suitors.
Sam Darnold’s Free Agency Forecast Mixed
Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings
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Sam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on after a loss to the Los Angeles Rams during the NFC Wild Card Playoff.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Darnold is still expected to see a deal close to the three-year, $100 million pact that Baker Mayfield signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024.
He also named the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants as potential landing spots.
“Several execs have Darnold in that Baker Mayfield range of contracts, which is around three years and $100 million with strong guarantees,” Fowler wrote in the same article as Bowen. “The Raiders and Giants — both picking outside the top two spots in the draft — might need to pay a quarterback.”
That is short of the predictions that Darnold would end up with either franchise. It is also unclear how eager the Giants and Raiders’ front offices will be to invest in him. But it only takes two teams to start a bidding war.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano still believes Darnold has priced himself out of the Vikings’ long-term plans particularly with J.J. McCarthy in tow.
