Emotions are stirring in the Minnesota Vikings fan base after Sam Darnold led the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl this weekend, and Hall of Famer Cris Carter was part of the hoards. With Darnold having run the Vikings’ offense last season, the team’s fans are largely upset that the front office let him go before the 2025 campaign.
What did Carter have to say about Darnold’s NFC Championship win?
Vikings Legend Cris Carter Takes Subtle Shot at Sam Darnold Following NFC Championship
Darnold led the Seahawks to a 31-27 championship game over the LA Rams, paving the way to his first Super Bowl appearance. It’s been a long road for the quarterback, coming from being benched by the 2-14 New York Jets in 2020.
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His major stepping stone came when the Vikings called him up to replace an injured J.J. McCarthy last season. He took over the offense and drove them to a 14-3 record, sending them to the playoffs. However, the team let him go afterward, opting to move forward with young McCarthy.
In a massive revenge story, he joined Seattle and put up another 14-3 record this season. Now he’s on his way to the Super Bowl.
Hall of Fame wide receiver Carter jumped on X after Darnold and company’s conference title win, congratulating the quarterback and the team. However, he took a shot at Darnold by misspelling his name, which many people in the comments joked about.
“Hell of a win by Seattle and congratulations to Sam Darnell,” Carter tweeted.
As a hardcore Vikings supporter, it’s understandable if the team’s former wideout is somewhat upset about Darnold leading Seattle to the Super Bowl instead of Minnesota. The quarterback had a 78.8 QB impact rating this campaign, as per PFSN’s QB Impact Metric.
The Vikings had a disappointing 2025 campaign following the quarterback’s departure last season. Head coach Kevin O’Connell faced an uphill climb, with McCarthy supposedly taking over the offense going forward.
The youngster lasted only two games before another injury setback: an ankle injury in their matchup with the Atlanta Falcons.
Carson Wentz picked up the slack and went 2-3 across five starts before McCarthy returned. However, the second-year shot-caller failed to improve much on Wentz’s production, going 5-3 in his final eight starts of the year.
Free agent quarterback Max Brosmer also filled in at spots when injuries kept McCarthy out.
How Minnesota’s top brass decides to move forward at quarterback in the long term remains to be seen. McCarthy has failed to stay healthy consistently, leaving O’Connell’s offense in the hands of backups.
The overall roster is well-rounded. But consistency at the quarterback position is an issue that can’t be overlooked.
