NFL exec: Vikings 'crazy' to dump Sam Darnold, who's thriving with Seahawks

Initially, we were against the idea of trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, even though the Seattle Seahawks got a good return given his age. Our main objection was the massive risk the front office was taking, given the very low number of potential upgrades at the position that were likely to be available this past offseason.

In fact, there was only one quarterback one our list who would qualify as a step up at the game's most important position, and it seemed unlikely that he would even hit the market in the first place. However, the Minnesota Vikings decided not to pay Sam Darnold and allowed him to hit free agency, where the Seahawks were eager and waiting.

Darnold had just won 14 games for Minnesota and was the best-looking QB they'd had in decades, but instead they decided to rely on JJ McCarthy, who had yet to start a game at this level thanks to an ACL tear prior to his rookie season.

It wasn't difficult to see that decision aging poorly, and now the Vikings are getting their just deserts. According to one anonymous NFL executive, Minnesota was "absolutely crazy" to move on from Darnold given what he'd just accomplished, per Mike Sando at The Athletic.

Dec 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) participates in pregame warmups against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

"I thought it was absolutely crazy what they did," an exec from another team said, "and I thought it was crazy when they did it. To take a quarterback (Darnold) who won that many games and to go to J.J. McCarthy, who you don't know can play, I just don't get it."

Neither did we, but the Vikings' loss is the Seahawks' gain, and so far the gamble is paying off in a big way for the latter.

While Darnold's numbers aren't quite the fantasy monster level they were last year (not yet, anyway), he has performed exceptionally well at QB for the Seahawks.

Hading into Week 5, Darnold has the third-highest grade at his position according to Pro Football Focus, while McCarthy is all the way down at No. 42. Darnold ranks 10th in total EPA and McCarthy is 52nd. In practically every meanginful metric for quarterback play, Darnold is far and away performing at a much higher level than McCarthy.

It's still early in the season, but if Darnold continues to play like this, the Seahawks won't be needing to look for a new franchise quarterback for at least the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, the Vikings have to cross their fingers and hope they haven't made the biggest mistake at quarterback any team has made since Cleveland traded for Deshaun Watson.

nfl — Dec 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) rushes against the Seattle Seahawks during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

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