Sam Darnold is enjoying a stellar season with the Minnesota Vikings but is only on a one-year contract and may join a new team in 2025 to secure a multi-year contract
As comebacks go, Sam Darnold’s resurgence in 2024 is quite impressive.
Not much was expected of the 27-year-old quarterback this season after he signed a one-year, $10 million contract with Minnesota. The Vikings selected J.J. McCarthy, Michigan’s national championship-winning quarterback, in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and fans were excited to see the rookie in action at the U.S. Bank Stadium.
Not much was expected of the 27-year-old quarterback this season after he signed a one-year, $10 million contract with Minnesota. The Vikings selected J.J. McCarthy, Michigan’s national championship-winning quarterback, in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and fans were excited to see the rookie in action at the U.S. Bank Stadium.
Yet Darnold was handed a golden opportunity after McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury before Week 1. With the help of some brilliant offensive weapons – including superstar receiver Justin Jefferson – the Vikings have stormed to a 10-2 record in the NFC North. Only the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs have won more games (11) this season.
Darnold has played a huge role in Minnesota’s success, but it’s still unclear whether he will stay. McCarthy is on course to be fully fit for the NFL season, while Daniel Jones – the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft – is now part of Minnesota’s practice squad.
So with that in mind, where will Darnold play his football next season? Does he sign a new contract with the Vikings? Or does he return to the New York Jets – the team that drafted him back in 2018 – and replace the 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers at QB? Other teams could also be interested in signing the former USC star.
Mirror U.S. Sports has asked its team of experts to answer those burning questions. Here are the results…
Matthew Neschis
Darnold could return to New York (
Image:
Getty Images)
Darnold will make his big return to the Big Apple, signing a three-year contract with the Jets. Similar to the role he was meant to serve with the Vikings prior to McCarthy’s season-ending injury, the 27-year-old will mentor whichever quarterback New York selects in April while starting under center during the 2025 campaign – only giving up the QB1 position when his successor is deemed ready.
Rich Jones
It’s a tricky one for Darnold. He’s played well, but any situation he walks into is likely to be far less favorable than the one he finds himself in with the Vikings. He’s had by far the best season of his career under Kevin O’Connell, and he’s likely banked up some credit. Even though they have high hopes for McCarthy, it’s likely Darnold’s job to lose next year.
This might be his only chance to cash-in with a big contract. But who would be willing to pay? His opportunities would be teams that aren’t exactly quarterback-friendly right now. A second chance with the Jets, remarkably, could make some sense. He’d certainly have far, far better weapons at his disposal than his first go at it, but going back to the New York circus might not appeal.
If I’m Darnold, I think I back myself to beat out McCarthy and make the Vikings spot my own. But it would be absolutely understandable to test the waters and go to the highest bidder, whoever that may be.
Jeremy Goldstein
The Vikings should ink Darnold to a multi-year contract with almost all of the guarantees coming in the first season. For example, Darnold can sign a three-year, $90ish million contract with a large signing bonus and around $30 million in frontloaded guarantees.
If he’s bad, Minnesota can move on after a season with practically nothing on their books. If he shines again, they have an above-average starting quarterback making less than average at the position.
Joshua Mbu
Aaron Rodgers has struggled this year for the Jets (
With the Vikings selecting McCarthy high in the first round of the draft, and ex-New York Giants quarterback Jones signing on the practice squad following his sensational exit from the Big Apple, Darnold should assess his options elsewhere in free agency.
Darnold could land himself a multi-year deal worth considerably more than what he’s on in Minnesota and head to a team needing a quarterback. The Jets need a starting quarterback with the Rodgers experiment struggling for liftoff, but whether Darnold is willing to return to New Jersey is another question.
Other teams include the Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, and the Giants. The Indianapolis Colts would’ve been in that category had 2023 first-rounder Anthony Richardson not got his act together.
The quality of the quarterback class for next April’s picking process will also play a part in whether any of the teams listed go for Darnold. Shedeur Sanders of Colorado and Cam Ward of Miami are currently predicted to be the top two quarterbacks of the 2025 class and be taken off the board inside the top-10 picks. After that, there’s quite a drop-off to the likes of Georgia’s Carson Beck, and the Alabama Crimson Tide’s Jalen Milroe.
Darnold would be a strong, immediate starter for teams in need of a quarterback, and the weakness of this year’s quarterback class could play in his favor.
Charlie Wilson
If the Vikings are able to re-sign Darnold to a similar contract to what they had brought him in this year, then that’s just a no-brainer decision. However, this is something that Darnold is highly unlikely to accept – potentially having much more significant offers from other quarterback-needy teams.
While Darnold would likely be taking less money to return to Minnesota, it’s an offense that we know he’s capable of playing at a high-level in, with a second year of impressive tape likely to convince more general managers to give the former first-round pick the opportunity to be their long-term starter.
McCarthy is going into what will be his rookie season next year… a player who many would argue was not worthy of being a first-round quarterback from what he had shown in college. McCarthy outplaying Darnold in the preseason would be hugely encouraging, but it’s probably unlikely he’ll be able to play at that level in his first season in the league. The Vikings have an incredible insurance policy in Darnold, at the most important position in all of sports.
Should the Vikings not be in on Darnold this offseason, I would expect the Browns to have interest – a franchise that needs a new starting quarterback with Deshaun Watson playing at an extremely poor level over the last two years.
Two surprise landing spots I would keep an eye on would be the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams. Seattle’s GM John Schneider had been a big fan of Darnold’s in college, with reports suggesting they attempted to bring him in after trading away Russell Wilson, while the Rams are in need of a long-term quarterback with Matthew Stafford coming toward the end of his career.