One of the most intriguing storylines this offseason is the future of the Las Vegas Raiders’ quarterback position. The team has been in search of stability at the position since Derek Carr’s departure in 2023, and with their new leadership under head coach Pete Carroll, they are eyeing their next franchise quarterback to help turn things around.
The Raiders have no shortage of potential quarterbacks to choose from, but one new name that has recently entered discussions is Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold. With the Raiders picking outside of the top five in the 2025 NFL Draft, one NFL analyst believes Darnold could be a solid veteran choice.
NFL Analyst Suggests Las Vegas Raiders Should Sign Sam Darnold
The Raiders didn’t bring in an established coach like Carroll to supervise an extensive rebuild and continue tanking for years to come. Instead, Carroll is expected to build a strong culture and win games now in hopes of quieting the complaints directed toward the organization.
NFL analyst Nate Tice agrees with this vision and believes Darnold could solve their quarterback issue.
“They need to figure out the quarterback. I think that’s not surprising to anybody. They are second in cap space, just under 100 million right now. I think Darnold is a guy that makes sense to them. I think they go with a vet.
“You don’t sign Pete Caroll as head coach to do a full, long rebuild and really revamp it. It’s more kind of like a reload type of head coach type to me, not that this team is reloading for much. But they signed Chip Kelly; I don’t think Russell Wilson is a great chip for Kelly’s offense. That’s why I’m kind of thinking they are a Darnold team. They have the money for it but Darnold-Tetairoa McMillan, that could really sign me up.”
Darnold is ranked 10th in PFSN’s Top 100 Free Agent Rankings and finished the 2024 season with 4319 yards and 35 touchdowns. Here’s what PFSN’s Ben Rolfe wrote about his free agency:
“Two bad performances under the bright lights of what was essentially two playoff games are going to have a major impact on how Darnold is viewed this offseason, especially with fans and media outside of those who regularly saw him play. That is somewhat unfair on a quarterback who was ranked 12th overall in QB+ the regular season.”
It’s clear he is the consensus top quarterback available this summer.
Las Vegas’ offense was deemed one of the worst in the NFL by PFSN, according to its Offense+ metric, and arguably the only reason they weren’t No. 32 is because of tight end Brock Bowers. Although Bowers seemingly broke every TE rookie record in the books, Darnold, PFSN’s No. 12 QB by QB+, would still see a downgrade in terms of his weapons.
Signing with the Raiders would give Darnold a real shot to prove himself as a franchise quarterback and the opportunity to benefit from Carroll and owner Tom Brady’s experience.