Dianna Russini claims Vikings QB Sam Darnold is 'Story of the Year' drops huge nugget on Kevin O'Connell
The Minnesota Vikings have quite the predicament on their hands this offseason. Going into the 2024 season, the idea was that quarterback Sam Darnold would come in, get a chance to start a few games, and potentially earn a big contract from someone else in the 2025 offseason. Well, he's played so well that Darnold […]
The Minnesota Vikings have quite the predicament on their hands this offseason.
Going into the 2024 season, the idea was that quarterback Sam Darnold would come in, get a chance to start a few games, and potentially earn a big contract from someone else in the 2025 offseason.
Well, he's played so well that Darnold has not just been mentioned as a candidate to win Most Valuable Player, but also a potential to stay with the Vikings long term.
Before the season, it would have been crazy to think that the Vikings might want to keep Darnold for more than one season, but it's become a reality.
Dianna Russini gives latest intel on Sam Darnold
How the Vikings will handle things with Darnold is going to be one of the biggest stories of the offseason. We opined about that idea earlier this month when it began to feel like a realistic outcome.
Vikings can secure their future with Sam Darnold by making a move he probably won’t like
The Vikings would behoove themselves to make this move
It's starting to become a popular theory among analysts and insiders. The Athletic's Dianna Russini is the latest to bring the idea up, as it's something she's been hearing.
So, what’s the move? One option on the table: the franchise tag. It’s pricey (more than $40 million) but it buys time. It would give McCarthy another year to develop from the bench, or at least set up a real competition. (There’s nothing wrong with McCarthy sitting — think about what the Packers did with Jordan Love.) And it would give the Vikings a chance to do a shorter-term deal that’s more cap-friendly, yet also gives Darnold similar money to what he’d get on the open market.
These are good problems to have, yet it’s not an easy call. More importantly, before the organization makes any decision at quarterback they need to get head coach Kevin O’Connell signed up for years to come. They took a gamble by not signing him with two years left on his deal. O’Connell has since orchestrated another winning season, reviving another quarterback in Darnold, and is expected to garner Coach of the Year votes. The expectation is a new deal could happen soon. Otherwise, O’Connell is a lame duck in 2025 and will be in high demand. More good problems in Minnesota.
The Vikings were trying to avoid the expensive element. However, they weren't expecting to luck into a franchise quarterback in Darnold, who is exactly what they have right now. They selected McCarthy to take advantage of a starting quarterback on a rookie contract, but having Darnold could prove to be too much
The other nugget that Russini dropped was a potential extension of head coach Kevin O'Connell. He's on year three of a four-year deal, same with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. There isn't much worry, if any with the Vikings getting these deals done. They normally don't do contract extensions during the year so getting those done this offseason will likely come quickly.
These elements are going to be interesting to watch over the next few months, especially Darnold, who will be a hot commodity.
How the Vikings can slow down Jordan Love and other burning questions ahead of Week 17 vs. Packers
It’s going to be a huge matchup
