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The Minnesota Vikings officially did not place the franchise tag on impending free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold by Tuesday's deadline, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. However, the two sides will continue to work towards a deal that is best for both sides. Although the 27-year-old could return to Minnesota after a career year in 2024, it's probably only likely to happen if his market in free agency isn't as robust as expected. The bottom line is that the Vikings don't want to hold back last year's first-rounder J.J. McCarthy (knee) and would probably prefer to bring Daniel Jones back as an insurance policy at a much cheaper cost. After the Los Angeles Rams restructured QB Matthew Stafford's contract, Darnold is the top available signal-caller, with his most likely landing spots being the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants. For fantasy purposes, obviously staying in Minnesota as the starter would be the most ideal for Darnold.

League sources think that the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders are the two likeliest landing spots for Minnesota Vikings impending free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold, but the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers could also go after him. Tagging Darnold and trading him for premium draft capital would be the best-case scenario but that's unlikely to happen now that the Vikings aren't expected to use the franchise tag on the 27-year-old. The Athletic's Alec Lewis writes that it only makes sense to re-sign Darnold if his free-agent market is more depressed than expected. It will be more of a luxury since they have plenty of other holes to fill on the roster and don't want to hinder quarterback J.J. McCarthy's (knee) progression after they took him in the first round of last year's draft. Lewis says that the Vikes think the better plan is paying Daniel Jones around $10 million instead of paying Darnold around $35 million.

The Minnesota Vikings are not expected to place the franchise tag on impending free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold by Tuesday's deadline, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. However, all parties are working through their options to potentially keep him in Minnesota. Rapoport describes Darnold's situation as fluid with free agency right around the corner. Last year's first-rounder, quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) missed all of his rookie season after injuring his knee in the preseason, and then Darnold went on to have a career year, throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 17 regular-season starts. If the Vikings think McCarthy might need another full year of development, it would make sense that they're considering re-signing Darnold for 2025. The 27-year-old won't have a shortage of suitors in free agency, though, with the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders perhaps going after him the hardest.

The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt writes that Minnesota Vikings impending free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold is not viewed as a realistic target for the New York Jets, both because of his projected price and the unlikelihood that he'd want to return to the team that drafted him. The Jets are expected to target a middle-tier QB and go into training camp with a competition between Tyrod Taylor, a veteran free agent and possibly a rookie. League sources believe Justin Fields will be a prime target, but other teams will be in on him, and the Pittsburgh Steelers may prefer keeping him over Russell Wilson. Rosenblatt also lists Wilson, Carson Wentz and Kirk Cousins (if the Falcons release him) as options for New York this offseason. The Jets sit at No. 7 overall in the upcoming NFL draft, and if they are to trade up to first overall, it would be to select Miami QB Cam Ward. However, that would likely involve moving multiple first-round picks and/or players.

Although the Los Angeles Rams have made it crystal clear that they plan to trade veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp this offseason, head coach Sean McVay isn't completing slamming the door shut on Kupp's potential return. "You know, I think I would never speak in absolutes. But I do think let's gather all of the information and we'll take it a day at a time. We'll kind of see what the next steps entail," McVay said when asked if the door is "completely closed" on Kupp returning in 2025. The head coach also confirmed that the Rams haven't had any conversations about Kupp restructuring his contract, which just reiterates that their preference is to trade the 31-year-old this offseason. Kupp has a $29.7 million salary cap number in 2025, so any acquiring team would probably expect the Rams to pick up some of that money. With Kupp likely being moved, Puka Nacua will take on a larger role as the No. 1, while Jordan Whittington could also become a bigger weapon out of the slot.