Sam Darnold was one of the feel good stories of the 2024 NFL season. The former 3rd overall pick who had been on three different teams in his 6-year career when he signed with Minnesota, where he was projected to be a backup. But an injury to the starter elevated Darnold into the role of QB1, and he made the most out of it with a career resurgence.
Sam Darnold Sacked 9 Times In Vikings’ Playoff Loss
The well traveled quarterback led the Vikings to a 14-3 regular season record, just one game short of being the no. 1 seed in the NFC for the playoffs. He ranked near the top in most of the important statistical categories throughout the year. Having signed just a one-year contract, Darnold looked as though he was headed for a big pay day, whether it be in Minnesota or elsewhere.
In 60 minutes, Sam Darnold is losing all the money he made himself the last 6 months.
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) January 14, 2025
But thanks to his abysmal performances in the Vikings’ final two games of the season, Sam Darnold likely have cost himself millions of dollars on the open market.
It started in Detroit. The Vikings entered Week 18 with a chance to take home the division title and the no. 1 seed in the NFC, but had the mighty Lions standing in their way. Darnold laid an egg in his worst game of the regular season, completing fewer than 44% of his passes on a touchdown-less night for Minnesota. They lost the game 31-9, but Darnold had a chance for redemption in the first round of the playoffs.
He was even worse against the Rams. While the Vikings were able to find the end zone on Monday night, it was just the one time. Darnold threw for a respectable 245 yard total, but was sacked a total of 9 times, the highest mark of his career. Due to the constant pressure, the quarterback became rattled, and he threw an interception and had a costly fumble to cap off his night. Minnesota lost 27-9.
Darnold May Be Seen As A Backup Again
Sam Darnold’s playoff debut:
15 Incompletions
2 Turnovers
9 Times SackedDisastrous. pic.twitter.com/0xg5OtRjHM
— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 14, 2025
After being held in high regard after his impressive statistical season, Darnold may be right back to where he started. Instead of being the hot commodity on the quarterback free agency market, there is now a chance that teams view him as nothing more than a solid backup. It was thought that teams like the Steelers, who may be in need of a veteran quarterback, might be lining up to give him the biggest payday of his career. But that notion has likely changed, and it would be surprising to see Darold receive anything more than 2-year offers.
It is becoming more likely that the Vikings will turn to JJ McCarthy for the 2025 season, which was the plan before he was injured this past pre-season. Should they let the Sam Darnold contract expire as expected, McCarthy would be the only QB on Minnesota’s active roster.
