The Vikings are likely to pursue a $53 million quarterback in order to replace Kirk Cousins.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings communicates with quarterback Kirk Cousins.
In the event that Kirk Cousins decides to leave in free agency, the Minnesota Vikings will need to secure a new starting quarterback for their 2024 season. Sam Darnold is among those they may consider pursuing for this role.
Darren Wolfson from KSTP commented on a March 7 episode of SKOR North’s “Mackey and Judd” podcast about The Athletic’s suggestion that the Vikings might go after Darnold if Cousins doesn’t resign.
According to Zack Rosenblatt from The Athletic, the Vikings will pursue Baker Mayfield as their primary option if they lose Cousins. However, in case Mayfield is unavailable due to his contract status, Minnesota may choose a young prospect with potential instead. Among those considered for acquisition is Darnold who possesses remarkable arm talent despite not being fortunate enough to play on winning teams as a starter before. With a year of experience under Kyle Shanahan’s system, he could be primed and prepared for another opportunity at starting quarterback position.
According to Wolfson, the buzz surrounding Darnold is genuine and he ranks highly on the Vikings’ list of experienced backup quarterbacks for free agency. However, their ultimate goal remains focused on a rookie quarterback in the first round as a long-term solution for their franchise.
Baker Mayfield and Geno Smith have followed a similar path as Sam Darnold.
Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold
Although Darnold bears the label of being a bust, having been selected as the third overall pick by New York Jets and playing for three teams in just four years; he is still only 26 years old and has a chance to revitalize his career.
Geno Smith, a former Jets pick who struggled in New York, redeemed himself by delivering an outstanding performance with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022 that earned him Pro Bowl recognition.
It is possible for Darnold to achieve similar success.
Darnold, who was praised for his arm strength and precision while leaving USC in 2018, exhibited potential upon being swapped to the Carolina Panthers.
After suffering a high-ankle sprain in the preseason and subsequently losing his starting position to Baker Mayfield, Darnold finally received his first start during Week 12. He was able to lead the Panthers to victory with a score of 23-10 against the Denver Broncos. Meanwhile, Mayfield requested that he be released from the team after only achieving one win out of six games as starting quarterback prior to being replaced by Darnold.
Closing out the season, Darnold’s record was 4-2 as he threw seven touchdowns and only had one interception. Additionally, he scored two rushing touchdowns within a five-game span. However, Carolina chose to trade up in last year’s draft for Bryce Young and ultimately let go of both Mayfield and Darnold.
Similar to Mayfield, who ended up with Sean McVay – a disciple of Shanahan – on the Los Angeles Rams before propelling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers towards an unforeseen postseason appearance, Darnold has had some contact with Kyle Shanahan’s quarterback-friendly coaching methodologies over the past year.
During a Week 18 matchup that held no significance, with mostly backups in play and for his sole start with the San Francisco 49ers, Darnold executed 16 out of his 26 pass attempts (translating to a success rate of approximately sixty-one point five percent) while also racking up one hundred eighty-nine yards passing and two touchdowns. Unfortunately though their efforts weren’t enough as they suffered an unfortunate loss by only one touchdown against the Rams at this game’s end.
Given that the Vikings achieved more than 400 yards of offense with Nick Mullens as their quarterback, it is possible for Darnold to perform well and assume a starting role in Minnesota.
According to a former NFL executive, Vikings coaches would be willing to bring Darnold onto their team.
Undoubtedly, swapping Cousins for Darnold in the upcoming season would be a regression at the position. Nevertheless, there’s potential for the Vikings to enhance their roster by utilizing the cap savings that come with Darnold.
“It is crucial for everyone to be in agreement,” emphasized Randy Mueller, a former NFL executive, in an interview with The Athletic. “However, when you consider what someone like Darnold can offer at a cap cost of $10 million and how the team could allocate those funds towards other needs, it becomes easier to convince coaches.”
In free agency, Cousins may be eligible for a contract worth $45 million annually. In contrast, although Darnold has earned over $53 million throughout his career thus far; during the period following his initial agreement as a rookie footballer, he was able to sign an economical one-year deal with the 49ers valued at only $4.5 million per annum.
The 49ers proposed a potential deal that would allow Darnold to vie for the starting position against Brock Purdy and Trey Lance. If offered, a $10 million per year contract wouldn’t be unreasonable for the Vikings to consider in order for Darnold and an incoming rookie quarterback to compete as starters.
