Credits: GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Sam Darnold Saga – Minnesota Vikings ‘officially’ will not franchise tag the QB Darnold!

Credits: GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings have officially declined to franchise tag Sam Darnold before Tuesday’s deadline and this could mean that Darnold could be headed somewhere else. If the Vikings were to tag Darnold, he would have earned at least more than $40 million next year.

The Vikings drafted QB J.J. McCarthy out of Michigan in the 2024 draft as the 10th overall pick in the 1st round. After letting their former QB Kirk Cousins walk into the free agency, the Vikings went on to sign Darnold to a one-year. Nobody expected Darnold to be that good in 2024 as he had a career-best season throwing for 4319 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, and 66.5 percent pass completion rate.

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The Vikings had to choose between Darnold or McCarthy

Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 record, earned himself a pro-bowl nod, and he also helped the team reach the playoffs. He also finished third in Comeback Player of the Year award voting, and was ranked 10th in AP-MVP race in 2024.

What a season it was for Sam Darnold 👏

• Led Vikings to 14-3 record and a playoff berth
• 4,319 pass yards, 35 TD, 67.5%
• Top 5 in NFL in passing yards & TDs
• First QB to EVER win 14 games in first season on new team

Made himself a LOT of money 💰 pic.twitter.com/174dHS4EfZ
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) January 14, 2025

The Vikings had made it very clear they wanted Darnold to be QB1 for the team and let McCarthy develop his game before potentially handing him the keys. What ended up happening was Darnold had an extremely impressive season but the rookie ended up tearing his meniscus in the pre-season and sitting out for the rest of the year.

The Vikings were in a dilemma regarding their quarterback situation. They needed to decide whether to resign Darnold who helped the team achieve a 14-3 record or fully commit to their rookie quarterback who hasn’t played a single game yet but was the 10th overall pick. Now, it seems like they have the answer that they want.

Darnold may re-sign with the Vikings and run it back for potentially one more season

According to Adam Schefter, even though the Vikings will not tag Sam Darnold, they could still try to resign him on a short deal, if their quarterback J.J. McCarthy is not fully ready to play next season coming back from his knee injury. However, since Darnold is not tagged by the Vikings, other teams can now pursue Darnold and offer him a way better deal along with a long-term commitment.

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There are a lot of teams in the NFL that require a great quarterback and Darnold should be a hot commodity going forward. Teams like New York Giants, and Las Vegas Raiders, could be on the hunt for Darnold as they desperately need a quality QB. He could still resign with the Vikings but he remains eligible for unrestricted free agency next week.

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Eric Divakaran

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I cover the National Football League and things cannot get better than that. I always dreamed to play football or basketball professionally since I’m built like a Running Back. But now that I can’t, since I’m technically in the “Unc” age, I thought why not pick a career in sports industry? So here I am, doing what I love, and hoping that the Commanders win the Super Bowl. I give love to players when it’s due, but can be critical about their performances at the same time. Enough about me, now let my articles do all the talking.