The discussion surrounding the Minnesota Vikings and quarterback Sam Darnold is quite baffling right now.

Everything took off once the Vikings chose not to place the franchise tag on him on Tuesday afternoon. Insiders across the media were reporting that the Vikings wanted to bring back Darnold. How it was framed across the media was very interesting, especially when it came to the financial element.

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Sam Darnold should be weary of a Vikings return

If this was Major League Baseball and money wasn't a factor, Darnold would for sure be returning. However, the salary cap will make that a challenge.

The latest speculation about a potential return came from The Insiders on NFL Network, where Ian Rapoport discussed what it would take to bring back Darnold, and it's very complicated.

"It's going to be less than the franchise tag, but still, they would like him back in a manageable number. They can build the team around him. But this is unprecedented, because they'd like to bring back a starter who is a free agent, who, as they've said, has earned the right to be a free agent, but if he comes back, JJ McCarthy, who they really like is right there. So if Darnold holds him off during training camp, splits the reps, they'll go into the season, and everyone will know if one quarterback falters, whoever wins the other one is right there. That is a tough situation for both of these guys.

"Darnold is an absolute Pro, and handled it incredibly last year, having a career year, but JJ McCarthy wasn't out there. The Vikings are going to try to do the absolute best they can with two quarterbacks if they really, really, like, hold off on putting JJ out there, just this one year they could do it. They're very, very good. There's a little bit of a challenge here."

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As mentioned earlier, the reporting here is so focused on the Vikings finding a way to make this work. It raises a lot of questions. Is this the Vikings putting it out there so they can look good for public relations purposes? Or is this actually what the Vikings want? It certainly feels like the same PR blitz we got last year with Kirk Cousins before he left and signed with the Atlanta Falcons.

There is one other element that needs to be discussed: why would Darnold come back to the Vikings without the certainty of being the guy?

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Yes, the Vikings did select J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He didn't play in the regular season due to a torn meniscus, but will be fully healthy going into the season. After throwing 35 touchdowns and garnering Most Valuable Player discussion, Darnold coming back to Minnesota only to compete for the starting job doesn't make a ton of sense.

If he were to come back, Darnold should be "the guy." With McCarthy behind him, there will always be that lingering feeling of "will this throw get me benched?" That's not a healthy environment for Darnold to come back to. It also could be construed as insulting after the season he had in leading the Vikings to 14 wins. 

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Depending on what his market is, Darnold might be willing to come back because it's a stable environment that has some levels of certainty. This is especially true with the offensive scheme and chemistry of the receivers. That being said, having to compete for the job that he had last year and made the Pro Bowl just doesn't feel right and he should look to prioritize other opportunities.

If Darnold does come back to the Vikings and gets benched, it could be catastrophic to him getting the big payday that he's earned after the 2024 season. For those reasons, it would be smart for Darnold to sign elsewhere.

Now, if the market is dry for Darnold, coming back might be his best option. With that likely not the case, returning could be disastrous.

Vikings trade target could make his way to Minnesota while helping them earn a draft pick

It’s a brilliant strategy by the Vikings