Kevin O’Connell breaks silence on Sam Darnold’s future with Vikings after ground-breaking debut season

Sam Darnold, after disastrous seasons with the Jets and Panthers, took off in Minnesota, leading them to 14 wins and a playoff berth.

Kevin O’Connell breaks silence on Sam Darnold’s future with Vikings after ground-breaking debut season

Sam Darnold, Kevin O’Connell (Images via FOX News)

The Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell admitted that the franchise is letting quarterback Sam Darnold explore free agency rather than placing the franchise tag on him. After a strong season under center, Darnold may have played his way into a lucrative contract elsewhere.

Darnold, who signed a one-year deal with the Vikings last season, exceeded expectations by leading the team to 14 victories. However, with a first-round investment in JJ McCarthy last year, Minnesota may view this offseason as the right time to transition to their young quarterback with a new placeholder QB.

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While Darnold’s performance was praiseworthy, late-season struggles in both the regular-season finale and the wild card round could have supported the team’s decision.

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Another key factor in this decision is the financial implications of the franchise tag. The expected cost of tagging a quarterback in 2025 is over $40 million. The Vikings may not be willing to commit to Darnold for such a high price. Instead, they could allocate those funds to other areas of the roster while guiding in a new era at quarterback.

The NFL Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell recently hinted at the team’s approach. He acknowledged Darnold’s contributions while stressing the reality of the situation.

Look, you guys know how I feel about Sam. He is a guy that we identified last year as somebody who could come in and be successful. And really no matter where he was at before he arrived in his quarterback journey, it was about maximizing our time together. And I think we did that, and I think it was a very special year for Sam.

Kevin O’Connell said, via ESPN

O’Connell further noted that Darnold has earned the right to test free agency.

What that earned him is, everybody in our league now thinks he’s a bona fide legitimate starting quarterback and can win a lot of football games. He won 14 of them [in 2024]. So he’s earned the right to be a free agent, but we will continue to have ongoing dialogue and discussions with him and his representation.

Kevin O’Connell added

The Minnesota Vikings haven’t fully closed the doors on Sam Darnold. However, they are leaning towards putting McCarthy into the field or a placeholder QB in case he’s still injured.

Amid Sam Darnold drama, JJ McCarthy just wants a fair chance

The Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy’s second season hasn’t yet begun, but it’s already clouded with roster and injury uncertainty. With such an undefined road ahead, all the 2024 first-rounder is asking for is a chance to prove his worth.

JJ McCarthy
JJ McCarthy (Image via The Wright Way Network)

On an appearance on the Rich Eisen show, McCarthy expressed that all he needs is a fair opportunity to showcase his skills.

All I can ask for is a fair opportunity. That’s the one that I feel like everybody’s given and it’s fundamental. When money gets involved, things get complicated, and reps get skewed and there’s different things that come into the whole ‘political’ world that everyone talks about. But I really just have to focus on controlling what I can control. My feelings don’t matter.

JJ McCarthy said

He went on to add that he doesn’t expect any preferential treatment based on his higher draft order.

I’m not getting any grace. There’s no sympathy. This is the big leagues.

JJ McCarthy added

The situation in Minnesota is likely to remain in dilemma, as it is now for at least until the very end of the current month. With an extension, O’Connell would also look into the big picture rather than a short-term narrative.

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