The Minnesota Vikings are going to have an intriguing decision this offseason with Sam Darnold, who has been great this season but is scheduled to be a free agent and get a significant payday all while 2024 first-round pick JJ McCarthy is waiting in the wings. The majority of league executives believe that the Vikings will keep Darnold, whether on the $41 million franchise tag or a long-term extension, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

One executive pointed to the contracts that Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield got with the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, citing a three-year, $100 million deal as an option. There is not one team that believes Darnold will get top-10 money, according to Fowler. There is one AFC executive who is in the minority, believing that the Vikings will let Darnold walk.

“They have McCarthy but they also have Daniel Jones, who can be the next resurrection project for them — and both would be much cheaper,” the AFC executive said, according to Fowler.

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The Vikings have a number of different routes they can go with this. They could keep Darnold with either a long-term deal or the franchise tag. They could simply let him walk, or they could use the tag and trade him, as there are several quarterback-needy teams with what is expected to be a weak class for the position in the 2025 NFL Draft.

McCarthy was the long-term plan for the Vikings, so it will be interesting to see if that plan is changed by Darnold's surprise season. As the executive pointed out, Daniel Jones is in house and looking to resurrect his career as well. It will be interesting to see if he is retained this offseason as well.

For now, Minnesota has legitimate Super Bowl hopes. The Vikings will try to beat the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football this week to claim not only the NFC North, but the No. 1 seed in the NFC as well. The hope for Minnesota is to go on a deep playoff run and maybe bring back the franchise's first Super Bowl, then worry about what to do with Darnold's contract status in the offseason.