The writing now finally appears clearly on the wall for QB Sam Darnold and his future with the Minnesota Vikings.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on February 21 that while the Vikings remain open to a new contract with Darnold, the franchise doesn’t plan to pay him big money — in other words, Minnesota is not going to match the upward limit of what Darnold can likely attain in free agency — nor is the team willing to commit to him as its quarterback of the future.
“I’m told that the Minnesota Vikings are open to doing a deal with Sam Darnold. … [But] if he’s getting major bank with another team somewhere else, they probably won’t mortgage their future in that regard,” Fowler said during an appearance on SportsCenter. “What was made clear to me though is J.J. McCarthy is the franchise quarterback at some point, whether that’s six months from now, 12 months, 18 months. They have not made that firm determination yet, but he will be the guy. So whoever steps in this year is essentially a bridge quarterback.”
Vikings Unlikely to Use Franchise Tag to Keep or Trade Sam Darnold
GettyQuarterback Sam Darnold of the Minnesota Vikings.
Darnold is going to be the prize at his position should he reach free agency unencumbered, which now appears the overwhelmingly likely scenario.
He is the only quarterback that Bill Barnwell of ESPN rated as a “capable starter,” his version of a third-tier free agent signal-caller. Darnold occupied that category in 2025 alone, with no other quarterback listed in Barnwell’s second tier of “Pro Bowl-caliber starters” or first tier of “franchise players.”
Fowler noted sources around the NFL who don’t believe Minnesota is likely to use the franchise tag to keep Darnold in 2025, while Barnwell elaborated on why in his article Monday.
“While they have plenty of cap space, the $42.4 million franchise tag would hit their books this year, limiting their financial flexibility until the situation is resolved,” Barnwell wrote of the Vikings. “If he chose to sign the tag, Minnesota would likely have to move forward with Darnold as its starter in 2025 and leave J.J. McCarthy on the bench, costing it another year of surplus value from the 2024 first-rounder’s rookie deal.”
Vikings Still Have Physical Concerns Regarding J.J. McCarthy
GettyQuarterback J.J. McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings.
That leaves McCarthy the man moving forward in Minnesota, although it is near a certainty that the Vikings will sign a veteran QB this offseason, and it remains possible that player could start ahead of McCarthy.
The second-year signal-caller missed the entirety of his rookie campaign in 2024 with a knee injury he sustained during his first-ever preseason action in August. He has since undergone two surgical procedures to repair the joint but is ready to roll for offseason workouts.
However, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported on Monday that the Vikings still have physical concerns regarding McCarthy.
“In a weird way, I could see J.J. McCarthy’s weight being a factor,” Breer wrote. “He lost a bunch going through the knee surgeries of the past six months, and so returning to his fighting weight will play an element in the Minnesota Vikings’ confidence (and there is confidence there) that they can go forward with him.”
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