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The NFL Combine had an eventful Saturday, with some of the NFL Draft's most talented first-round prospects participating in various drills. Miami football's Cam Ward, believed to be the No. 1 quarterback in the class, didn't participate in drills but surprisingly interviewed with the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings' quarterback situation is still very much undone, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
“While the Vikings are open to Sam Darnold returning, I continue to hear they won't mortgage the future to keep him,” Fowler wrote. “There's not much momentum coming out of the combine that the Vikings will franchise tag Darnold, who should have multiple suitors if available. The Giants, Raiders and Titans are among the logical options. And I'm not totally discounting the Steelers here — not yet, at least. As one high-ranking official with a QB-needy team pointed out to me, Darnold won 14 games for the Vikings in 2024 and is the best option on the market by a wide margin.”
It appears that Ward's decision to not throw at the Combine could be working in his favor.
What Vikings' Cam Ward interview means going forward
The Vikings have options at the quarterback position. Bringing back Sam Darnold is a risk. An expensive one. But there's a lot of potential for J.J. McCarthy, who flashed his talent before his injury last preseason. So it doesn't seem likely that Ward would play in Minnesota, unless there is a massive trade completed in the next month.
“One possibility that shouldn't be overlooked in Minnesota is re-signing Daniel Jones to pair with J.J. McCarthy, whenever he's ready off his knee injury,” Fowler continued. “People I've spoken to believe that's a real consideration for the team. As was told to me, McCarthy has already proven to the staff he's the franchise quarterback, but the team won't rush his timeline; they want the process to unfold organically, whether he's ready now, in camp or in a future year. Jones would be a potential bridge to that and a cheaper alternative to Darnold.
One more interesting nugget that might mean nothing but is at least noteworthy: The Vikings interviewed Cam Ward at the combine.”
There would have to be a haul in order for the Vikings to trade up from 24. Seeing how they only have three total picks in 2025, meeting with Ward seems rash.
