Many Minnesota Vikings fans probably went to sleep in a bad mood after Kirk Cousins decided to move on to join the Atlanta Falcons. They also probably woke up shocked to learn that the team’s choice to replace him was Sam Darnold.
Indeed, the journeyman QB hasn’t had the best start to his NFL career as he’s now headed to his fourth team in only six seasons. It’s also fair for people to assume that the Vikings probably signed him as a bridge QB who will only be there as an expensive rental while the team searches for a long-term solution.
However, there’s no reason to not believe Darnold has what it takes to thrive under center for the Vikings. One analyst in particular believes that the man was dealt a bad hand that forced the public perception towards his talents in a negative light.
Mark Schlereth believes Sam Darnold will thrive with the Minnesota Vikings
Mark Schlereth is a long-time analyst who has covered multiple teams and players over his career. He’s one of the few who believes Darnold has what it takes to finally make the jump that made him such a high selection in the 2018 Draft.
Hours before Darnold signed with the Vikings, the NFL analyst made a guest appearance on The Rich Eisen Show to talk about his potential now that he’s with a team that can actually play football.
He argued that the New York Jets (who ran a system designed for Payton Manning) and the Carolina Panthers (who played college-style football) were terrible systems for Darnold to start in.
Per Bring Me The Sports’ Joe Nelson:
“There’s one person in the world that can run the Peyton Manning offense and it’s Peyton Manning. He’s the only one,” Schlereth said. “So you take a rookie with the Jets and try to put him into that situation. And then he went to Carolina, and you’re running a collegiate type of offense in Carolina. He said the first time ever he was exposed to a legitimate progression offense was the last eight games or so when Steve Wilks took over and Ben McAdoo became the offensive coordinator.”
Darnold took his stop with the San Francisco 49ers as a ‘football rehab’
If Schlereth is to be believed, Sam Darnold’s most recent stop with the San Francisco 49ers should be able to help him bring out the best in the Minnesota Vikings.
He revealed that he talked with the former USC standout for stretches last season, and the man himself revealed that he took the opportunity to learn more about how an NFL offense runs. The fact that he had the chance to work under one of the most brilliant offensive minds in Kyle Shanahan should have helped his game.
While his 2023 numbers don’t stand out—he only had 297 passing yards, two TDs, and one pick over ten games—he’s shown a maturity that convinced the Vikings that he’s a worthwhile signing.
It’s now up to Darnold to prove his critics wrong and put up an impressive season that would allow him to get out of his current status as a backup and compete for the Super Bowl.
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