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What's next for Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings?

Vikings fans return from Arizona disappointed in season-ending loss
Vikings fans return from Arizona disappointed in season-ending loss 01:37

MINNEAPOLIS — Another season ends in that old, familiar fashion for the Minnesota Vikings — with a whimper, with the other sideline in jubilant celebration, with questions about where things go from here.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell's mantra of "1-0" went 0-2 when it really mattered. Brian Flores' swaggering defense was humbled. Most disappointing, and perhaps most impactful, fairy tale quarterback Sam Darnold lost his magic at exactly the wrong time. 

Darnold joins a storied history of mercenary quarterbacks who sparked a thrilling but ultimately unsustainable run for the Vikings — Brett Favre in 2009, Sam Bradford in 2016, Case Keenum in 2017, even Joshua Dobbs last year. Darnold led the Vikings to five straight wins to start the season, then a nine-game winning streak after a midseason slip. He piled up stats, charmed the fanbase and probably earned himself a nice payday in the process.

But will he get it from the Vikings? That's the question after Darnold reverted to his old ways in the two biggest games of the season.

In a division-defining Week 18 game against the Detroit Lions, Darnold went 18/41 for 166 yards and no touchdowns. A week later, the Los Angeles Rams sacked him nine times as he went 25/40 for 245 yards, a touchdown, an interception and a fumble returned for six points. 

How can you pay a guy who puts up those stats when the lights get bright? How can you not pay a guy who gets you 14 wins? That's the vexation facing the Vikings. 

It's hard to see the Vikings handing Darnold a big, multiyear contract after the way this year ended. Especially when you consider they just shed themselves of an expensive but limited quarterback in Kirk Cousins. Darnold's not likely to earn top QB money, but even midtier starters like Baker Mayfield and Geno Smith are earning $25 million to $30 million a year. Are the Vikings willing to give that to Darnold after seeing what else their free-agent dollars can buy — Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard and Blake Cashman?

Then there's the franchise tag option. The Vikings could hit Darnold with the tag — essentially a nonnegotiable, one-year contract — and let him compete with J.J. McCarthy in training camp. This would push the price tag up around $40 million, but if McCarthy wins the job outright or Darnold underperforms, you're out of it after one year.

Oh yeah, McCarthy. The young QB missed his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus, but you don't spend a top-10 pick on a quarterback to let him sit on the bench. Provided he's healthy in time for the 2025 season, this should be McCarthy's offense moving forward. If O'Connell can coax a top-10 passing season out of Darnold, imagine what he could do with a moldable, young QB whom he handpicked.

Darnold was always intended to be a bridge QB — to keep the ship steady while McCarthy developed. There's no question he overperformed, but the Vikings shouldn't let an aberrant season divert them from the original plan.

If you're still not convinced that Darnold and the Vikings are headed for a breakup, listen to head coach Kevin O'Connell's comments following the team's playoff loss.

"The other phase of it for Sam is acknowledging the things that made him a winning quarterback this year and the consistency at the times he had it throughout the year and what that meant for our team. Because I think that can stay with him moving forward as he goes back to work," O'Connell said. "Proud of him, proud of really everybody in that locker room, but Sam and the journey him and I went on this year will always be something that's a special place in my heart for sure."

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