Call it luck, good coaching, or something in between, but Sam Darnold has turned out much better than expected for the Minnesota Vikings this season.
Despite many analysts being down on the Vikings and their chances of being a strong team this year, they are in a position to fight for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, potentially securing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Darnold has played like an MVP candidate, elevating the pass-catchers around him and bringing the Vikings’ offense to the next level.
With his play in mind, the team will face a conundrum in the offseason.
Will they stick with Darnold, signing him to a contract extension, putting the start of the J.J. McCarthy era on pause?
Or, as Ben Leber recently suggested on the Infinity Sports Network, will the Vikings move on from him, allowing a team like the Los Angeles Rams to sign Darnold in the offseason?
.@nacholeber explains why he thinks J.J. McCarthy will be starting for the Vikings and Sam Darnold will wind up with the Rams next season. @InfSportsNet: https://t.co/PJGVssrIej pic.twitter.com/oRiaiqlxGn
— Zach Gelb (@ZachGelb) December 23, 2024
Matthew Stafford is technically under contract through 2026, per Spotrac, but the team does have an out after the 2024 campaign.
If the team isn’t satisfied with his output from this season, they might elect to go with a player like Darnold considering the success he’s had with the Vikings.
Darnold didn’t have this level of impact with the New York Jets or Carolina Panthers, but something has clicked for him in Minnesota.
It will be interesting to see what his free-agent market will be in the offseason, especially if the Vikings decide not to give him some kind of offer to stick around.
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