Jan 30, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; NFC quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws the ball in the Passing the Test event during the Pro Bowl Skills Challenge at Nicholson Fieldhouse.

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With Matthew Stafford Back In Los Angeles, Will Sam Darnold Be The Most Sought After Trade This Offseason?

Will Sam Darnold still be in Minnesota in 2025?

Jan 30, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; NFC quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws the ball in the Passing the Test event during the Pro Bowl Skills Challenge at Nicholson Fieldhouse.

The Minnesota Vikings went into the 2024 offseason with a plan that may have turned a few heads. Moving on from former quarterback Kirk Cousins was a big move from the NFC North franchise. Even though Cousins could manage to get the Vikings in the playoffs just twice in six years, he had had a solid season in 2023 and the chemistry between him and Justin Jefferson was developing well.

But, Minnesota went for youth and drafted J. J. McCarthy in the draft to make him the new franchise quarterback and signed Sam Darnold to provide competition. With the starting role up for grabs between the two signal callers, McCarthy’s pre-season injury was just the break Darnold needed.

Sam Darnold’s Career Resurrection in 2024

What transpired on the turf in the regular season was something very few may have predicted as Darnold fit seamlessly into the Vikings’ offense and looked like a completely different player. Not only did the former third overall pick steer Minnesota to a 14-3 record, but he was just one win away in week 18 against the Lions from handing the Vikings the number one seed in the NFC and a first round bye.

No matter where Sam Darnold ends up, people are going to criticize the signing.

He’s by far the best long-term option on the market & deserves literally every penny his new team throws his way.

Darnold earned this. pic.twitter.com/ZKfVqoYnjb
— Dom Cintorino (@domcinto_11) February 26, 2025

Drafted in 2018, Darnold’s career as a starting quarterback left much to be desired. In his 6 seasons prior to joining the Vikings, he threw for over 3,000 yards just once in his second year, and that too finished with only 3,024 yards. However, 2024 was nothing like what he had seen from the former New York Jet as he developed a quick connection with his receivers and had the Minnesota offense rolling from day 1.

Finishing the year with 4,319 passing yards, 35 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, and a career-best passer rating of 102.5, Darnold proved to the league just what he is capable of. Now, with his one-year deal with the Vikings over, the question on everyone’s mind is what the future holds for the young 27-year-old?

What Are The Options For The Minnesota Vikings?

Given the situation that the Vikings are in now, they have about three different scenarios in which they can play this out. The first of which is to tag Darnold. Last year, the Vikings signed him for a mere $10 million on a one-year deal. If they tag him this year, that number goes up all the way to $40 million. And say, they were to tag him for two years, that is another $48 million in 2026. That is the kind of money they will be putting on Darnold when their actual plan is to have McCarthy as the face of the franchise.

The Vikings won't tag QB Sam Darnold, a source “emphatically” told @TonyPauline this morning.

Darnold will hit the free agent market. pic.twitter.com/YXqNaXT70F
— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) March 2, 2025

Another option for the Vikings is to not tag Darnold and let him leave as a free agent. Finding a team this season won’t be the most difficult task given that this year’s quarterback class is considered a weaker one, and there are plenty of teams looking for an upgrade under center. Darnold could easily land a 2-3 year deal with another team that pays him an average of $40 million per year.

The third scenario, however, is to tag and trade Darnold so that Minnesota can get something in return. With the career resurrection he had last season, the Vikings could be looking at a nice bump up in the draft in exchange for their QB. Minnesota has until the 4th of March 4 pm ET to make a decision on whether or not to tag Darnold. But, one thing is for sure, this could be the best time for the Vikings to cash in on what is a favorable situation.

Also Read: Best Performances by Wide Receivers in Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Combine

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Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!