The Minnesota Vikings were one of the most unexpectedly brilliant teams this season. After Kirk Cousins left, not many expected Minnesota to rattle off a 14-win season, especially with Sam Darnold manning the quarterback position after their first-round pick J.J. McCarthy lost his entire rookie year to injury.
However, with Darnold set to enter free agency and the Vikings having invested a first-round pick in McCarthy last year, they are now at a crossroads over their quarterback position.
But one NFL General Manager believes the Vikings will stick with Darnold and offer him a franchise tag this offseason.
NFL GM Predicts Vikings Will Franchise Tag Sam Darnold
The Vikings took McCarthy with the 10th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, believing he could be their franchise quarterback. However, a knee injury derailed his rookie season before he could even take the field.
Darnold stepped in his absence and put together the best year of his career, throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions with a 102.5 passer rating. His performance earned him a Pro Bowl selection, and it looks like he will also earn an extension and continue as the Vikings’ starting quarterback in 2025. According to PFSN’s QB+ metric, Darnold finished the regular season ranked 12th with a B grade (79.0).
The Philadelphia Tribune’s
“Sam Darnold’s brutal play in Week 18 and the playoffs had many writing him off in Minnesota. Not so fast. Several executives from quarterback-needy teams, who would have at least some interest in Darnold, suggested he’s not going anywhere. I hear that J.J. McCarthy, who lost his entire rookie year to injury, still has significant work to do to rebuild his body, let alone adjust to the NFL.”
“‘They have to tag Darnold,’ the first GM said. ‘Those guys aren’t stupid.’
“An agent for another free agent signal-caller said: ‘Darnold will get the transition tag. It just makes too much sense. … Owners don’t like to sign guys to offer sheets, and if they do, Minnesota can string it out for five days, deciding to match, and what if the other quarterbacks are gone by the time they decide? Can you really take that risk in March?'”.
If that’s the case for the Vikings, they are guaranteed to be the playoff contenders in 2025, with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison serving as elite playmakers for either of the two QBs. But Minnesota likely splits the center between two to help the sophomore develop into a potential franchise quarterback.