When the Minnesota Vikings had to say goodbye to departing starting quarterback Kirk Cousins in March and acquired journeyman Sam Darnold to take his place, everyone considered it a downgrade at the most important position. Through 15 games, Darnold has massively exceeded expectations.
The Other Sam Darnold Option Is Gaining Steam
Darnold was planned to be the placeholder until rookie J.J. McCarthy had figured things out and was ready to enter the starting lineup. McCarthy’s knee injury handed Darnold the keys for the 2024 campaign, and his performance opened the door for him to return.
Debates about an extended stint in the Twin Cities have ignited in sports talk shows, on social media, and among fans in the stands. Should the club give him starting-caliber money and spend more than $40 million on the guy that was a reclamation project just four months ago?
On the flip side, should they really let a guy walk who has already collected 32 passing touchdowns and led the team to a 13-2 record through 15 games with a shot at the top seed in the NFC?
But there’s a third option: The franchise tag.
Hated by players because it doesn’t provide them any long-term success, it makes sense for teams on some occasions, and this could be one.
Dianna Russini, The Athletic, wrote on Saturday: “So, what’s the move? One option on the table: the franchise tag. It’s pricey (more than $40 million) but it buys time. It would give McCarthy another year to develop from the bench, or at least set up a real competition. (There’s nothing wrong with McCarthy sitting — think about what the Packers did with Jordan Love.) And it would give the Vikings a chance to do a shorter-term deal that’s more cap-friendly, yet also gives Darnold similar money to what he’d get on the open market.”
McCarthy is an unknown at this point. Even his biggest fans can’t be 100% certain he will pan out, and his knee injury only increased the bust risk. Darnold, meanwhile, has proven that he can operate a functional NFL offense at a high level and could continue to do so in 2025 if the Vikings use the franchise tag.
Albert Breer from Si.com shares Russini’s sentiment, “You’ve got a good roster full of players that should have a win-now expectation (they’re 13–2 as it is). And so, to me, in service to those players, I think you have to think about the idea of franchise-tagging Darnold for 2025, even though the tag will exceed $40 million, and either give McCarthy another development year or open up a competition.”
Indeed, the roster seems to be set up to compete, especially under the outstanding coaching staff led by Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores.
Inserting a quarterback who will virtually be a rookie in 2025 could hurt the team. However, moving on from Darnold and pivoting toward the cheap signal-caller allows the front office to hire additional free agents with the saved cap space.
Placing the franchise tag on a quarterback is unusual but not unprecedented, Breer noted: “It’s not unprecedented, either, for whatever it’s worth. In 2004, the Chargers drafted Philip Rivers to replace Drew Brees. Brees then won the job in camp, had a dynamite 2004 season, and the Chargers tagged him in ’05—he injured his shoulder at the end of that season. In the long run, though, that circumstance worked out for everyone involved.”
Regardless of what the Vikings do, having an offense coached by O’Connell with weapons like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison should be productive with either passer under center.
The franchise tag question will be answered in February. If the Vikings don’t use the tool or hand him an extension in the traditional way, Darnold will enter free agency in March, and the Vikings will officially become McCarthy’s team in 2025 and beyond.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
#Sam #Darnold #Option #Gaining #Steam
