Minnesota Vikings DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

In Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell's Coach of the Year news conference, he said, "Our goal is to win a championship and Sam Darnold is going to be a huge part of it when we do it," When asked to clarify, O'Connell said that Darnold has "earned the right to be a free agent, but we will continue to have ongoing dialogue and discussions with him and his representation." O'Connell went back on his comments a bit and said his previous comments about Darnold were made "in the spirit of answering a question about Darnold's season." Darnold had a career season in 2024, but his struggles in the final two games might make the Vikings more apt to give first-rounder J.J. McCarthy a shot in 2025 and let another team spend on Darnold. The Vikings also have former Giants QB Daniel Jones as an insurance policy in case they let Darnold walk in free agency.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) missed his entire rookie campaign after suffering a preseason ACL tear ahead of the 2024 campaign. The No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft was expected to be brought along slowly, but there was a chance he would see playing time in Year 1. With McCarthy sidelined, veteran Sam Darnold started 17 games and threw for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Darnold is set to become a free agent this offseason, but the team could opt to bring him back. During an appearance on the "Rich Eisen Show," McCarthy said, "All I can ask for is a fair opportunity. That's the one that I feel like everybody's given and it's fundamental. When money gets involved, things get complicated, and reps get skewed and there's different things that come into the whole 'political' world that everyone talks about." It's unclear if the 22-year-old is feeling uneasy about his future with Minnesota following Darnold's breakout season, but it would be a surprise if the Vikings pulled the plug on their latest No. 10 overall pick so early.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that the Minnesota Vikings haven't made a firm determination on impending free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold's future with the organization. Darnold exceeded all expectations in 2024, and bringing him back is a stronger possibility that it was five or six months ago. However, the Vikings have a cap on what they'll spend on the QB position, especially after he struggled to close out the year. Some agents think Darnold shouldn't take a penny less than Daniel Jones' four-year, $160 million deal with the New York Giants two years ago. He could get something similar to Baker Mayfield's three-year, $100 million deal, or the Vikes could slap the $35.3 million transition tag on him. Darnold threw for 4,319 yards, 35 TDs and 12 interceptions in 17 games, but his struggles in the final two games will ultimately cost him a lot of money on the open market. Whether the Vikings keep him will depend on how confident they are in J.J. McCarthy and Jones.

According to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, the Las Vegas Raiders are considered a potential suitor for quarterback Sam Darnold. Lewis also mentioned that the Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, and the New York Giants could also pursue Darnold in free agency. Lewis noted that among the teams that need a quarterback, no team has more cap space than the Raiders. In addition, with new head coach Pete Carroll, they may opt to pair him with a veteran quarterback. This past season, the Raiders relied on Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell under center and could only win four games. The Raiders also hold the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and could look to pair a rookie quarterback with Darnold. Last season, Darnold enjoyed a career season as he led the Vikings to a 14-3 record. He threw for 4,319 yards and 35 passing scores with 12 interceptions.

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Denver Broncos are expected to "take a look" at a versatile back for Sean Payton's rushing scheme. Fowler noted that given Jones' eight years of NFL experience, he could be a strong fit for a team that is looking to take the next step. During the 2024 season, the Broncos struggled to generate much on the ground as they tallied the 17th-most rushing yards per game (112.2). Javonte Williams tallied the most yards out of the backfield (513), with Jaleel McLaughlin just behind with 496 yards. In his debut campaign in Minnesota, Aaron Jones ran for 1,138 yards with five scores on 255 attempts. He added 408 yards and two scores on 51 receptions. Even though he is entering his age-30 season, Jones should be in a good position to tally over 1,000 yards on the ground once again in 2025.