Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell seemed to suggest the QB1 job is Sam Darnold’s to lose in 2025.
That is if Darnold wants to stay with the Vikings after his first career Pro Bowl in 2024.
“Our goal is to win a championship, and Sam Darnold is going to be a huge part of it when we do it,” O’Connell said during his Coach of the Year media availability on February 6, per the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett on February 6.
“Sure sounds like Vikings want to ride with Darnold next year,” Birkett said in reaction to O’Connell’s comments.
When given an opportunity, O’Connell clarified his stance. But he certainly wants Darnold back.
“You guys know how I feel about Sam,” O’Connell said, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert after the event. “He is a guy that we identified last year as somebody who could come in and be successful. And really no matter where he was at before he arrived in his quarterback journey, it was about maximizing our time together. And I think we did that, and I think it was a very special year for Sam. And what that earned him is, everybody in our league now thinks he’s a bona fide legitimate starting quarterback and can win a lot of football games. He won 14 of them [in 2024].
“So he’s earned the right to be a free agent, but we will continue to have ongoing dialogue and discussions with him and his representation.”
Opinions about Darnold’s fate with the Vikings remain split.
Sam Darnold, J.J. McCarthy Address Futures With Vikings
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 and Sam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings during training camp.
Darnold, 27, signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings in free agency in 2024, and he is due a significant raise following his historic season. Whether or not that aligns with the Vikings’ plans could come down to finances, but Darnold said he is not overthinking it.
“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 could provide the Vikings cover for 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus and two surgeries to address it.
McCarthy said he is ahead of schedule, though, and is eager for a chance to start in 2025.
“All I can ask for is a fair opportunity,” McCarthy told Rich Eisen on “The Rich Eisen Show” on February 4. “That’s the one thing that I feel like everybody’s given, and it’s fundamental. And when money gets involved, things get complicated and reps get skewed, and there’s different things that come into the whole political world that everyone talks about.”
Sam Darnold Shrugs Off Jets Joke During NFL Honors
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell interacts with Sam Darnold #14 before a game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Darnold was a topic during the 2024 NFL Honors ceremony. Host Snoop Dogg commended Darnold for his campaign with the Vikings. Darnold remained stoic during a joke about escaping the New York Jets.
“Sam look, you had an incredible year,” Snoop told Darnold during the broadcast. “It just shows all you need to succeed is hard work, determination, and getting the hell away from them Jets.”
The Jets selected Darnold No. 3 overall in the 2018 draft.
He spent three seasons in New York before the Jets traded him to the Carolina Panthers during the 2021 season. Darnold spent the rest of that campaign and the next with the Panthers. He signed with the San Francisco 49ers in free agency in 2023, joining the Vikings in spring 2024.
Darnold’s success in 2024 combined with that of Jets predecessor Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks) and successors Zach Wilson and Aaron Rodgers’ struggles – altered perceptions.
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