The Minnesota Vikings will be in the market for a capable veteran insurance policy for J.J. McCarthy.
Sam Darnold served as just that, signing a one-year, $10 million contract last March. The bridge deal paid dividends for both sides.
Darnold earned Pro Bowl honors, throwing for 4,136 yards passing and 35 touchdowns en route to 14 wins and a playoff berth.
The 27-year-old quarterback’s career rebirth likely prices out Minnesota, which could pivot to a familiar face to fill the Darnold role for the 2025 season.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) warms up before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon pitched five quarterbacks who could “explode” and make massive contributions like Darnold did in 2024.
He picked the Vikings as the best destination for former Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who is coming off a promising stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers before Russell Wilson returned from injury.
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“The 2021 No. 11 overall pick threw just one interception on 161 attempts and posted a career-best passer rating of 93.3 while helping the Steelers win four of the six games he started,” Gagnon wrote on Jan. 22. “Maybe Fields will never be a classically elite quarterback, but in the right environment he could absolutely work as a game-changing offensive weapon on a consistent basis.
“Imagine him in a special role with the Vikings, for example?”
The mention of Fields in Minnesota may not make sense, but there has been a flirtation by both sides over the years.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) looks at the scoreboard while sitting on the bench during the Steelers pre-season game against the Detroit Lions in the third quarter at Ford Field.
Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Back in 2021, there were rumors the Vikings tried to trade up and draft Fields before the Bears.
That was before quarterback guru Kevin O’Connell arrived in Minnesota. He’s made the Vikings a dream destination for any quarterback looking for a change of scenery, including Fields, who named Minnesota one of his four preferred destinations in a trade last year.
McCarthy is still the future, but Darnold proved to be an ideal prototype for O’Connell to refine his play-calling.
Fields would offer O’Connell a mobile weapon to build plays around in the mold of McCarthy. He’s made just under $19 million in his career, and after six starts in Pittsburgh, has a projected $8.9 million market value — cheaper than Darnold’s one-year deal.