The Minnesota Vikings just had a massive 27-24 road win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16 which keeps them on par with Detroit Lions for the NFC North crown and the No. 1 overall seed. The highlight of the match is no doubt quarterback Sam Darnold’s 39-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Justin Jefferson in the fourth quarter which fetched the winning points. And NFL broadcaster Colin Cowherd thinks the Vikings should bring him back next year and not let him become a free agent.
Sam Darnold Is Likely To Stick With Vikings Next Year, As Per Insiders
The Vikings signed Sam Darnold to a one-year, $10 million contract last offseason. He was expected to serve as a bridge quarterback to a rookie Minnesota was looking to add in the 2024 NFL Draft. As per a Sports Illustrated report Coach Kevin O’Connell wants to stick with Darnold. However, the team has already drafted J.J. McCarthy this year. The Vikings have not ruled out offering Darnold a contract for next season and it would be rather curious if the job was handed over to McCarthy, who has spent his rookie season recovering from a torn meniscus in his right knee.
”How in the world do you let Sam Darnold walk? I mean, is there I talked to an executive yesterday that said they’re too smart to let him go,” shared Colin Cowherd, who has rooted for Darnold for quite a while.
Minnesota made J.J. McCarthy the No. 11 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and Cowherd thinks the Vikings should adjust their plans because of how well Darnold has played.
“Sometimes it takes a while to be right. This is no longer just a good story. This is an excellent team and he is an excellent quarterback… quarterbacks are either trucks – where they’re pulling the team – or they’re trailers, where they’re being pulled. Sam [Darnold’s] a truck. He’s pulling this team,” Cowherd said on his show ‘The Herd’.
“To me, you’ve gotta franchise tag him at minimum. Can’t let him go. What if he ends up somewhere along the way and comes back to beat you? Maybe this is the best Sam can ever be… I’m not going to deny that… but outline your life in pencil. Plans change. Opportunities arise,” he added.
As per projections, the 2025 quarterback franchise tag is worth $40 million. The Vikings reportedly have $78 million in cap space and could easily fit Darnold on their roster next season if they wanted. Experts have also pointed out that they could spend some money to supplement McCarthy with a better-supporting cast.
But it’s clear that if Darnold leads the Vikings deep into the playoffs it would be hard for the team to let him leave. Head Coach Kevin O’Connell seems to have thrown his hat in the ring for Darnold as QB. Since the start of the season, O’Connell has praised Darnold’s performance and has kind of been a mentor to him.
“Kevin almost seemed a little indignant about the idea that the other shoe is about to drop,” said sports journalist Albert Breer. He is indicating that the Vikings’ head coach is wary of fans saying things may go wrong with Darnold since he wants the team to commit to Darnold in the QB position.
It’s quite clear that the Vikings have been great on offense in the 2024 NFL season and O’Connell himself pointed that out. “I want those guys to have some freedom in those moments, especially we do a lot of things with Justin [Jefferson] and Sam [Darnold], seeing the coverage, and then with some route opportunities to get to at the line of scrimmage,” O’Connell said about Darnold and wide receiver Justin Jefferson after the game.
“I think those guys have just gotten so comfortable with that stuff that they are able to execute it like they did which was maybe the play, absolutely the play of the game, maybe even considering just a moment and the circumstances of the season as well,” O’Connell added.
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