Can two games break all of the goodwill built throughout the season? For Sam Darnold, the answer turned out to be a resounding yes. From being labeled a draft bust to becoming an MVP candidate, Darnold had a remarkable transformation in the 2024 season.
But it all melted away in a flash. In Week 18 and again in the Wild Card round, subpar performances erased any thoughts of a long-term extension with the Minnesota Vikings. Darnold had to leave for a new opportunity with the Seattle Seahawks. Now, the former first-round pick has opened up about that late-season collapse.
Where Did It Go Wrong for Sam Darnold With the Minnesota Vikings?
Taken third overall in the 2018 draft, Darnold was expected to be the savior of the New York Jets. But New York quickly realized the USC product couldn’t carry that weight. His time there came to an end after three seasons.
Since then, he’s bounced around the league, with stops at the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers. Last year, he was expected to back up rookie J.J. McCarthy in Minnesota. But an injury pushed him into the starting role, and that shift completely changed his career. Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, both the fifth-highest marks in the league. Minnesota won 14 games, and he finished 12th in PFSN’s QB+ metric.
His career renaissance looked complete, and Darnold seemed like a future cornerstone in Minnesota. That changed in the playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Over 60 minutes, his magic wore off.
Sam Darnold’s playoff debut 😬
25/40 245 YDS 1 TD 1 INT 1 FUM Lost ➡️ Rams TD SACKED 9 TIMES, lost 82 YDS
Will he return as QB1? 👀 pic.twitter.com/d7iwQfonij— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 14, 2025
“For lack of a better term, we laid an egg as an offense,” he said in an interview with The Athletic. “And I think, for me personally, that sucks. I felt like we were a really good team, but at the end of the day, and this is gonna sound a little pessimistic, but when you get to the end of it and you don’t win the whole thing, you failed.”
That mindset fits a starting quarterback, but it doesn’t tell the full story. Completing 25 of 40 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown might look solid. But by PFSN’s metric, it was his third-worst game of the year.
He was sacked nine times and looked average even when protected. The unraveling started the week before. In Week 18, with a shot at the No. 1 seed against a banged-up Detroit Lions team, Darnold crumbled under pressure.
That performance was his worst of the season. He threw for just 166 yards, completed fewer than 45 percent of his passes, and lost 31-9. That gave the Rams the perfect game plan, and they ran with it. Still, Darnold took ownership in the interview.
“I feel like I could have played way better, to be completely honest with you. I feel I didn’t play up to my standard. I truly feel that way. I feel like if I would have just played better, I would’ve been able to give the team a chance.”
That led the Vikings to turn to McCarthy for the 2025 season, while Darnold signed with Seattle. A $100.5 million deal with the Seahawks sounds like a great reward, especially with Cooper Kupp now his top target.
But for a franchise that revamped nearly its entire offense this offseason, Darnold has plenty to prove. If not, the $37.5 million guaranteed at signing could be all he takes from Seattle before the team looks in a new direction.