The Vikings Have Found Their Bridge QB
Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
No one can accuse the Minnesota Vikings of not replacing departed quarterback Kirk Cousins, at least technically. One day after the news broke that their quarterback was jumping ship to the Atlanta Falcons, the Vikings agreed to terms with Sam Darnold on a one-year contract worth $10 million.
Darnold comes to Minnesota as a rare 26-year-old journeyman quarterback. The New York Jets drafted Darnold No. 3 overall in the 2018 Draft and, well… you can ask Zach Wilson – the No. 2 overall pick in 2021 – how things go with the Jets and young quarterbacks.
In three years as a Jet, Darnold posted a 13-25 record, averaging 213 yards per start with a 45 to 39 touchdown-to-interception ratio. His best season came in 2019, when he led the Jets to a 7-6 record in his starts while completing 61.9% of his passes, throwing for 3000 yards, and notching 19 touchdowns to 13 interceptions.
A 2-10 record in 2020 sealed his fate with the Jets, however. After drafting Wilson, New York shipped Darnold to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a second, fourth, and sixth-round pick. Darnold spent one year as a starter, going 4-7 with a 9 to 13 touchdown-to-interception ratio, before the Panthers moved him to a backup role for Baker Mayfield in 2022.
Last season, he signed a one-year deal for the San Francisco 49ers, where he backed up Brock Purdy. Darnold saw just one game of action with the 49ers, throwing for 297 yards, two touchdowns, and in interception en route to losing a meaningless Week 18 game.
Darnold appears to be a placeholder option for Minnesota, but it’s also an opportunity for Darnold to show he has something left to offer. New York and Carolina were hardly ideal spots for a young quarterback, and Darnold now has a solid offensive line and weapons in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and TJ Hockenson. At worst, Darnold seems poised to make whoever the Vikings’ Quarterback of the Future work to break into the starter’s role.
Up Next