Steelers Among Top Sam Darnold Landing Spots

Though Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are both in play to return next season, the Pittsburgh Steelers may instead choose to go with a player from outside the organization to fill their quarterback vacancy.

Should they go down that road, NFL.com's Nick Shook believes Minnesota Vikings signal caller and impending free agent Sam Darnold is a top contender to claim the Steelers' starting job.

"Darnold played well enough through the majority of 2024 to present legitimate candidacy for the Steelers' job, and if they continue forward with Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator -- despite the complaints from frustrated Steelers fans -- the fit would make sense," Shook wrote.

Darnold was one of the surprise stories of the campaign after signing a one-year deal worth $10 million last March, guiding Minnesota to a 14-3 record while throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, both of which ranked inside the top-five across the NFL.

The 27-year-old came up short when it mattered the most, however, as he saved two of his worst performances of the season for losses against the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams in Week 18 and the Wild Card round of the playoffs, respectively.

During those two contests, he threw for a combined 411 yards, one touchdown and one interception while getting sacked on 11 occasions and losing a fumble that turned into a 57-yard touchdown for Rams rookie Jared Verse.

With 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy set to claim the throne for the Vikings in 2025 after missing all of this past season with a knee injury, Darnold is unlikely to remain with the team.

Minnesota could always use the franchise tag, which holds a projected value of $41.325 million per Over The Cap, and attempt to trade him as a means of retrieving draft capital on his way out the door.

Nevertheless, Darnold hitting the open market and becoming the highest-paid player among the available quarterback options is the more likely scenario in this case.

He was the No. 3 overall pick by the New York Jets in 2018 and performed rather poorly until joining Minnesota, which could scare some potential suitors off. At the same time, his body of work this season with a strong supporting cast may convince teams that it wasn't all a façade.

The Steelers are entering the offseason with somewhat of a blank slate on offense, and taking a big swing on Darnold in hopes of maximizing their contention window is within the realm of possibility as they look to get back on track.

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