Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports activities.
Sam Darnold supplied the Minnesota Vikings with 4,319 passing yards, 36 complete touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 2024, together with a 14-3 report and a one-and-done displaying within the playoffs.
One Group Retains Popping Up as Sam Darnold’s Subsequent Employer
His teammate, J.J. McCarthy, is on deck to finally take over the QB1 job as early as subsequent season, so Darnold’s keep within the Twin Cities could also be restricted to at least one 12 months.
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports activities.
And together with his free-agent sweepstakes heating up, one staff retains rising as his subsequent employer — the Las Vegas Raiders. Every week and a half in the past, ESPN predicted the Raiders as Darnold’s subsequent staff, and this week, Professional Soccer Focus adopted swimsuit.
PFF’s Mason Cameron predicted touchdown spots for the league’s prime free brokers on Tuesday, and for Darnold, the Raiders bought the nod. “The new Raiders front office has a crucial decision to make under center this offseason, and they have the requisite cap space to facilitate a deal. Without top-five draft capital, making a play for one of the top quarterback draft prospects appears out of reach, likely lending itself to the Raiders making a strong offer,” Cameron wrote.
Heading into the 2024 common season, Las Vegas was the one NFL staff with out a long-term plan at quarterback, solely that includes Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. Unsurprisingly, the season didn’t go effectively, ending 4-13.
Shaun Brooks-Imagn Photographs.
Cameron additionally talked about the Vikings for a Darnold sequel, “This list features primarily new landing spots, but the Vikings would be remiss if they didn’t explore the avenues to retain Darnold — or, at the very least, not allow him to walk for nothing. Kevin O’Connell was able to tap into what made Darnold such a sought-after draft prospect in 2018, so the quarterback could be a candidate for a franchise tag with a possible trade to follow.”
On January twenty first, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler additionally linked Darnold to the Raiders. “All it takes is one suitor to drive Darnold’s market to the point where it’s cost prohibitive for Minnesota to retain him. And the numbers favor Darnold — at least five teams selecting in the top 10 of the NFL draft need a quarterback during a year when the supply doesn’t meet the demand. Darnold is the clear-cut No. 1 quarterback in free agency,” Fowler defined.
Morgan Tencza-Imagn Photographs.
An NFL exec advised Fowler, “At Pick 6, the Raiders are out of range for a quarterback unless they move up, which wouldn’t be smart based on the amount of holes they have. They need every pick. They have flexibility within the cap to get it done.”
Different groups, too, such because the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Seattle Seahawks, might additionally take into account Darnold’s impending free company.
Darnold’s subsequent contract will far outshine his 2024 deal. The Vikings paid him $10 million for one season, whereas most NFL pundits imagine Darnold can earn between $30-$45 million yearly this 12 months from open free company.
Brad Rempel-Imagn Photographs.
So, circle the Raiders as a quasi-frontrunner for his providers. The media powers that be preserve saying the identical factor.
Darnold will flip 28 this summer time.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the College of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his every day YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The present options friends, evaluation, and opinion on all issues associated to the purple staff, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates again to 1996. Listed responsible pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doorways (the band). He follows the NBA as carefully because the NFL.
All statistics supplied by Professional Soccer Reference / Stathead; all contractual info supplied by OverTheCap.com.
