The Minnesota Vikings’ season came to a disastrous end Monday night, as they fell 27-9 to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card round.
Quarterback Sam Darnold endured a brutal outing. He was indecisive. He was sacked nine times. And now his future with the Vikings is as uncertain as ever.
The 27-year-old Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million deal with Minnesota last March. Initially expected to serve as a backup, he was thrust into the starting role after rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered a preseason knee injury.
Darnold defied expectations, leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record and earning a Pro Bowl nod. However, back-to-back defeats, including a critical Week 18 loss to the Detroit Lions, have raised doubts about his ability to win in high-pressure situations.
The Monday Night Football broadcast team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman weighed in on Darnold’s performance during ESPN’s coverage of the game, speculating that his recent struggles will enormously hurt his market value in free agency.
“What’s the immediate future for Sam Darnold? They drafted J.J. McCarthy 10th overall – he injures his knee, he’s on his way back. They add Daniel Jones… but Darnold’s contract is up. Do they bring him back?” Buck asked.
“Does somebody else sign him? Does Daniel Jones become the bridge quarterback? There are a lot of unknowns for this Minnesota Vikings team in the quarterback decision.”
Aikman then stated the obvious: “That conversation (with Darnold) is a different conversation today than it was two weeks ago.”
Buck agreed, adding: “No doubt… and not to be simplistic about it, but with the way the Vikings have played – and how Sam Darnold has played – over the last couple of weeks, he’s at least cost himself some money.”
“No doubt. I know they really like J.J. McCarthy. He’ll be back, he’ll be healthy, and what that looks like for Sam (is unclear). He’s had a great year, there’s no denying that. He did a lot of good things for this organisation,” Aikman responded.
“Obviously he’s been a big part (of their success) – quarterback always is if you’re going to win 14 games. He’s played at a really high level. But last week and this week is going to leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouth going into this offseason.”
After the loss, Darnold declined to speculate on his next steps, focusing instead on the present.
“Yeah, I mean I’m not worried about that. That’s in the past. Right now I’m thinking about what I could have done better today and just really spending time with the guys in the locker room. That’s really all I’m focused on right now,” Darnold said.
“At the end of the day, in the NFL, you only get one season with one team with everyone together. Today wasn’t our day. It’s as simple as that. For me, I’m just going to be focused on spending as much time as I can with those guys in the locker room. And then I’ll think about whatever the future holds after that.”
Under head coach Kevin O’Connell, Darnold achieved career-best marks in 2024, completing 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
For the majority of the season, Darnold played at a near-MVP level and O’Connell had a whole lot to do with that.
On that note, O’Connell praised Darnold’s contributions while emphasizing the importance of evaluating the full scope of his season.
“What he was able to do this year, when not very many people thought he would be able to lead a team to 14 wins, which is rare,” O’Connell said.
“The way he came in, committed himself to just a daily process to be the best version of himself. It did not work out in the end. I think Sam would be the first one to tell you. Could he have played better tonight? I’m sure he would tell you he could have.
“Could I have coached better? I promise you I could have. Could our team have rallied around a play here and there to keep it close? For sure.
“The other phase of it for Sam is acknowledging the things that made him a winning quarterback this year. The consistency and the times he had it throughout the year and what that meant for our team.
“I think that can stay with him moving forward as he goes back to work. Proud of him. Proud of everybody in that locker room but Sam and the journey him and I went on this year will always be something that has a special place in my heart, for sure.”
With McCarthy expected to return healthy, the Vikings face a pivotal decision at quarterback.
While Darnold’s overall performance in 2024 may draw interest from other teams, his struggles in recent weeks have cast doubt over his ability and potential to be a truly elite franchise quarterback.
What are your thoughts on Darnold’s nightmare end to the season? … What will the interest level now be from other teams around the league?
Should the Vikings officially move on to McCarthy at this point???
