Football
 calls a play in the 2nd Quarter against New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shaun Brooks-Imagn Images.</p><p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Sam-Darnold-and-OL.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=647,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Sam-Darnold-and-OL.jpg”><figcaption> Shaun Brooks-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><p>In three weeks, onlookers of Minnesota Vikings football will learn with certainty if quarterback Sam Darnold will return for a sequel season in 2025.</p><h4>2 Major Clues about Sam Darnold’s Future</h4><p>The betting market suggests that the QB1 job will belong to <a href=)
J.J. McCarthy, drafted by Minnesota 10 months ago as the franchise’s future. But McCarthy tore his meniscus last August, allowing Darnold to hold the QB1 job all season, and for the most part, thrive. and Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and fullback C.J. Ham (right) look on before the game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.</p><p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/kevnandsam.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=639,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/kevnandsam.jpg” src=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/kevnandsam.jpg” alt><figcaption> Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.<span></span></figcaption></figure></div><p>Darnold threw for 35 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and 4,319 passing yards before vanishing in the final two games of the season. The man even flirted with fringe MVP consideration. Most Vikings fans, though, decided that McCarthy represented a wiser option in 2025 because he may not melt in the playoffs like Darnold did versus the Los Angeles Rams.</p><p>Now, thanks to Kevin O’Connell’s words and intel from ESPN, Darnold’s future may already be clear.</p><h2>Football Kevin O’Connell’s Hint</h2><p>Per a recent O’Connell quote, the young coach might’ve already predicted the outcome: letting Darnold venture to free agency with no extension or franchise tag-and-trade.</p><div><figure><img loading=)
O’Connell said about Darnold a week and a half ago.“And I think we did that, and I think it was a very special year for Sam. And what that earned him is, everybody in our league now thinks he’s a bona fide legitimate starting quarterback and can win a lot of football games. He won 14 of them.”
That was high praise for the 2024 QB1. But then O’Connell got to the chase: “So he’s earned the right to be a free agent, but we will continue to have ongoing dialogue and discussions with him and his representation.”
” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/darnoldten.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=694,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/darnoldten.jpg” src=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/darnoldten.jpg” alt>
O’Connell’s words — earning the right to be a free agent — is a cat-out-of-the-bag revelation. It’s as if he already knows the alternative to no contract extension is sure-fire free agency.
Football ESPN’s Clue
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert revealed Monday about Minnesota’s utility of the franchise tag, “Using the tag on quarterback Sam Darnold would be an expensive way of ensuring his return while avoiding a longer-term commitment that would hinder J.J. McCarthy’s eventual ascension. It could also be a way to elicit additional value by way of a trade, but that would require a knowledge that multiple teams would be willing to bid.”
 celebrates his touchdown to wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.</p><p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/darnoldyell.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=662,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/darnoldyell.jpg” src=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/darnoldyell.jpg” alt><figcaption> Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.<span></span></figcaption></figure></div><p>Teams can start using the franchise tag on Tuesday, February 18th.</p><p>“In the end, the Vikings seem more likely to let Darnold sign elsewhere and preserve their tag for a player such as cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., who had a career-high six interceptions in 2024 and is hitting his prime at age 27. If nothing else, it would give the Vikings time to sign Murphy to a longer-term deal while keeping him off the market,” Seifert added.</p><div><figure><img loading=)
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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