Coming into the 2024 season, all Minnesota Vikings fans could've hoped for was that the after moving on from 35-year-old Kirk Cousins in the offseason, the franchise had found their quarterback of the future. That guy was supposed to be JJ McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and a National Champion at the University of Michigan. However, a mid-August meniscus tear ended McCarthy's rookie year before it began, paving the way for Sam Darnold to step in become that guy.
Despite being in the NFL since 2018, Darnold is still only 27 years old, which means conceivably, his best football could still be ahead of him. And if the 2024 season is any indication, it's that those who wrote Darnold off after a disappointing three-year tenure with the New York Jets made up their minds prematurely, because in Minnesota, the former 3rd overall pick is playing MVP caliber football… and forcing the Minnesota Vikings to reevaluate his future with the team in the process.
According to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com, the Vikings decision-makers — presumably head coach Kevin O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah — are now open-minded about Darnold returning to Minnesota for the 2025 season and beyond. What that means for JJ McCarthy remains to be seen. But for Darnold, it could mean he gets his wish of continuing to play for the Minnesota Vikings.
It's not just Darnold who is speaking like an extended stay with the Vikings is in the cards. Coaches and teammates alike have praised the seven-year veteran for his performance this season.
“He's playing so well, and he's so rooted in the moment,” O'Connell told Seifert. Perhaps nobody's endorsement is more important than that of Justin Jefferson, the record-setting wide receiver who is closing in on a fourth All-Pro selection with Darnold throwing his way.
“He definitely has that strong arm to just be able to fit those throws into tight windows and just be able to run those deep throws and be able to take the top off defenses,” Jefferson said of Darnold. “Those are things that defenses got to respect. We feel like the whole playbook is kind of open toward Sam being able to throw it all across the field.”
Darnold and the Vikings are 11-2 and in good position to catch the banged-up Detroit Lions in the NFC North. A Week 18 matchup in Detroit could end up deciding the division, and who ends up with the top seed in the NFC heading into the Playoffs.