Sam Darnold has made the Minnesota Vikings‘ plans for the future much more complicated than previously thought.
The 27-year-old has shown he has the makings of a franchise quarterback, turning around his career amid an 11-2 start with the Vikings. The ideal plan was to pivot off Darnold, on a one-year contract, and hand over the starting reins to J.J. McCarthy.
However, Darnold is proving too good to let walk for nothing. He has thrown for the sixth-most yards (3,299) in the league, ranks third in passing touchdowns (28) and has the third-highest passer rating (108.1) among all quarterbacks.
The idea of franchise tagging Darnold (to keep him from reaching free agency in March) and then finding a trade suitor has cropped up ahead of the Vikings’ Week 15 primetime matchup with the Chicago Bears. Frankly, it’s the most shrewd move to make, maximizing the return on Darnold after helping him revive his career.
However, that would be a “dirty” move, former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber argued.
“I’m against that. I think the handshake agreement was done last offseason. He knew what the Vikings’ intentions were,” Leber said on KFAN on December 10, adding that Darnold arrived in Minnesota as no more than a “potential bridge quarterback” with the opportunity to compete for the starting job.
“He didn’t know he was going to beat out McCarthy. He knew he was a one-stop guy that was hopefully going to get better under the tutelage of [O’Connell] and the system. He goes out and proves it in a one-year deal and you want to handcuff him now and use him as a financial pawn? It feels dirty to me and I don’t think the Vikings organization would do him dirty like that. Let the little birdie go out there and make a bunch of money ’cause he’s earned it.”
Why the Vikings’ Franchise Tag Would Bother Sam Darnold
GettyHead coach Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates with Sam Darnold #14 after a touchdown against the Chicago Bears.
As Leber said, Darnold arrived with the expectation that he would get a chance to start for a year and hedge his performance for a starting job elsewhere.
Darnold would not be fond of the franchise tag, which would limit his bargaining power. The $41 million tag for the 2025 season would be an eyesore for a prospective team that likely believes he is the final piece to a playoff-ready roster. That cap hit could be ironed out with an extension, however, it’s another hurdle in addition to the cost of the trade.
A franchise-tagged Darnold would undoubtedly receive less interest than if he was an unrestricted free agent.
There’s no way to sugarcoat it; it would be a dirty move.
However, it would be the right move from a business perspective, and one the Vikings should work to make as painless as possible.
Sam Darnold Could Be Happy After Tag-and-Trade
GettySam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings on the field after beating the Indianapolis Colts.
The quarterback market is so poor this upcoming offseason that many teams could vie for Darnold regardless of the franchise tag.
There may be only two or three quarterbacks with first-round grades, and Darnold is at the top of the free-agent market.
Several teams could inquire about making Darnold a long-term offer.
The Los Angeles Rams fit that bill with 37-year-old Matthew Stafford on his way out. The Pittsburgh Steelers do not have a starting quarterback under contract for next season and may feel it’s time to move on from Russell Wilson.
The Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints also have talented rosters but uncertain quarterback situations heading into the offseason.
None of these teams may be in the territory to land a blue-chip quarterback prospect in the draft but could opt to take Darnold for a two- or three-year trial run.
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