The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Atlanta Falcons 42-21 on Sunday afternoon. With the win, the Vikings improved to 10-2 on the season. One of the biggest stories for Minnesota this season has been quarterback Sam Darnold.
On Sunday against the Falcons, he completed 78.6% of his passes for 347 yards and five touchdowns. Darnold did not throw an interception in the game. On the season, he has completed 68.4% of his passes for 3,299 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
Minnesota Vikings Should Consider Franchise Tagging Sam Darnold This Offseason
Sam Darnold will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. Many people think that the Vikings will not bring him back next year, but some think that Minnesota may need to reconsider it. On Sunday, the Bleacher Report Scouting Department thinks that the Vikings may need to consider the franchise tag this offseason for him. They said:
“Quarterback Sam Darnold has had his fair share of shaky outings in 2024. Every time he delivers a performance like Sunday’s, however, the Minnesota Vikings have to put a little more thought into hanging on to the 2018 first-round pick.
Darnold practically carried the Vikings against the Atlanta Falcons on a day when Minnesota’s defense was heavily turnover-dependent. He threw for 347 yards and five touchdowns and made multiple high-level plays throughout the game.
The big-picture problem for Minnesota is that Darnold is set to be a free agent in 2025, and the Vikings will eventually turn the reins over to rookie first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, who is on IR with a knee injury.
Right now, it would seem that the Vikings aren’t considering replacing McCarthy with Darnold as their quarterback of the future.
“Sam Darnold and the Vikings have not had any discussions regarding a long-term contract, per sources,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted on X on Sunday.
Now would be a great time for Minnesota to start pondering the franchise tag. The Vikings may still need a bridge quarterback in 2025, given McCarthy’s lack of a rookie season. Tagging Darnold could also provide the option of trading him to a quarterback-needy team for significant capital.
According to OverTheCap, the cost of tagging a quarterback in 2025 will be $41.3 million. That’s a high cost for a bridge quarterback, but it should be viewed as an acceptable one if it helps ensure that the Vikings are contenders again in 2025.”
It would be interesting to see what the Minnesota Vikings would do after the season with Sam Darnold’s contract. If Minnesota does not re-sign him, there is no doubt that another NFL team that needs a quarterback could very well overpay for him.
It appears as if Sam Darnold and head coach Kevin O’Connell are a perfect match. This is the best that Darnold has ever looked in his NFL career.
J.J. McCarthy Waiting In the Wings
McCarthy was a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Michigan. J.J. McCarthy missed the entire 2024 NFL season with a torn meniscus. If the Vikings decided to franchise tag Darnold for the 2025 season, McCarthy would continue to sit and learn behind him and that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for him either.
McCarthy is only 21 years old and will not turn 22 until January, 20. Their rivals the Green Bay Packers sat Jordan Love for a few years before he became the starting quarterback. It worked out for Green Bay. Maybe the same could work out for Minnesota in the long run.
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