Vikings Considering Future with Sam Darnold
The Minnesota Vikings have J gcash77. com.J. McCarthy, their first-round pick for 2024, lined up as a potential quarterback for the future. However, they are also contemplating bringing back Sam Darnold for at least another season in 2025. Darnold will be a free agent after finishing the one-year contract he signed with the Vikings last March. During a press conference at the scouting combine, General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stated that the team is still in discussions regarding Darnold’s future, including the possibility of using the franchise tag.
“Every option is afforded to us,” Adofo-Mensah mentioned. “When we made the move initially, we aimed to create flexibility. Part of that flexibility was having faith in a young, talented player — trusting our infrastructure to maximize quarterback performance phclub.com log in. Now, we find ourselves in a position with several options, and we will work to determine the best path for the Vikings moving forward.”
Darnold, who is 27 years old, enjoyed his best professional season under head coach Kevin O’Connell in 2024, completing 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards, with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, helping the Vikings attain a 14-3 record. However, he faced challenges in Minnesota’s last two games — a loss to the Lions in Week 18 and another loss to the Rams in the wild card round.
“I told my staff, if I had to devise a brain teaser to ponder, this would be a tough one — having a Pro Bowl quarterback who wins so many games yet loses to two teams twice,” Adofo-Mensah remarked. “That has been central to our offseason discussions as we take a holistic approach to evaluate the season. We do not want to overemphasize those last two games, but we also won’t downplay them. Overall, he played exceptionally well for us, especially in his first year in the system, which bodes well for the future. We are genuinely excited about Sam’s potential, whatever that may be.”
“It’s a challenging situation. We are incredibly proud of what he contributed. The season didn’t conclude as we had hoped, but many positive things occurred. We continue to lay the groundwork for the team we aspire to be and will keep moving forward.”
For his part, O’Connell expressed enjoyment in being part of Darnold’s successful year and noted his pride in the quarterback’s performance in 2024 phdream4. However, he acknowledged that discussions for the upcoming season are still ongoing.
“I’ve had great conversations with Sam since the season ended, and those dialogues have continued very recently,” O’Connell shared. “Our relationship has strengthened, leading to mutual respect. The future process for the Minnesota Vikings will take into account both short-term and long-term perspectives, with Sam in a position where the NFL recognizes his ability to play quarterback at a high level.”
“I feel honored to have contributed to his journey up to this point. We will see where things go from here.”
What do you think will be the next move for the Vikings regarding Sam Darnold?
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