Don’t Fret Over A Potential Brees/Rivers Scenario In Minnesota
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
The Sam Darnold Experience has gone better than anyone in Minnesota could have imagined. Not only are the Minnesota Vikings undefeated through three weeks, but they’re winning because of Darnold, not despite him. In three games, the journeyman former third-overall bust now sits:
- First in touchdown passes (8)
- Fourth in passer rating (117.3)
- Fifth in ESPN’s QBR (73.5)
- Sixth in yards per attempt (8.4)
- Seventh in PFF Grade (82.3; 4th with an 82.4 passing grade)
We’re giddy with the possibilities in Minnesota. And not just the people wearing horns and braids in the stands. Even the notoriously sour Bill Belichick got in on Sam Darnold train. “Everybody has liked Sam Darnold except for the Jets,” the grizzled ex-coach said.
Kevin O’Connell is high on Darnold, too, and is impressed with his journey. “The amount of work that goes into that position on your quarterback journey when everybody decides that you cannot play, we always believed in him, and it felt awesome to watch him go do that thing,” the coach said, holding back emotion. “I’m really proud of Sam Darnold.”
Maybe you’d be skeptical about this being coach-speak, but if Darnold’s putting up numbers, how can you hear KOC say those words and still don’t believe him?
The Vikings and the fanbase are daring to dream, and the sudden belief in No. 14 is prompting a new set of questions. If this is what Darnold looks like under O’Connell, then what happens next? The Vikings have a QB of the Future, and it’s J.J. McCarthy, or at least, that was the plan. Darnold was only supposed to be on a one-year contract, but what happens if he stays great? What happens if he takes Minnesota on a playoff run?
It’s not a one-to-one comparison, but it feels similar to when the then-San Diego Chargers drafted Philip Rivers just before young quarterback Drew Brees broke out. Ultimately, the Chargers stuck with Rivers and let Brees go to the New Orleans Saints. Brees won a Super Bowl and the Chargers didn’t, which seems to be a cautionary tale trending toward the veteran Darnold’s direction.
So, again, if Darnold forces the issue and presses Minnesota into making a Brees/Rivers-type decision, what do they do?
The answer is: Pop champagne and be grateful for the good fortune.
How many teams struggle to find any great quarterback play? Or, for that matter, the Minnesota Vikings? If they’ve stumbled into having two viable quarterbacks for the future, then stop worrying and start doing backflips. This is a dream, not a nightmare.
If what you take from the Brees/Rivers situation is that Brees won a Super Bowl and Rivers didn’t, just take a moment to re-think that. Sure, flags fly forever, but Rivers started every single game for the Chargers for the next 14 years and averaged 4,223 yards and 28 touchdowns during that entire time. Rivers may have never won a ring, but do you know how hard it is to get a franchise as poorly run as the Chargers to a Conference Championship?
Put it this way: Brees is a Hall of Famer, but there’s a reason Rivers is, too. If that’s the kind of choice the Vikings end up having to make, there’s no wrong one.
Well, except for one reason: Salary cap math. Part of what makes Darnold so valuable is that he’s performing this well at a bargain $10 million cap hit. If the Vikings did want to bring Darnold back, it wouldn’t be at nearly that price tag. Baker Mayfield saw his salary rise from $4 million in 2023, his first year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, to a $33.3 million average cap hit on his next deal. McCarthy would still have four years remaining on his rookie deal, and wouldn’t need that payday.
So sure, the Vikings might have to say goodbye to their new, good quarterback, even if he keeps balling out. But for now, embrace the Sam Darnold Experience and live in the moment. O’Connell seems content to let this ride, come what may. “I’m going into these games feeling confident in Sam to execute the plays that are called,” he told the press after Week 2. “Clearly his teammates have confidence in his physical ability and his preparation… Let’s just keep seeing what it looks like.”
The Vikings are playing with house money with Darnold in 2024. If next spring rolls around and Winter Park is weighing whether to keep a great quarterback in Darnold or roll with a promising, cheap young quarterback in McCarthy, they’ll be in a better spot than they’ve been in a long, long time.
Up Next