NFL insider: Sam Darnold 'the best QB available'—will Vikings cash in?

The window to use the franchise tag closes in a week.

Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) reacts in the closing seconds of the game against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The clock continues to tick toward the franchise tag deadline, and the Minnesota Vikings still haven’t made clear what they plan to do with quarterback Sam Darnold.

The franchise tag buzzer will sound at 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday, March 4, and some have suggested that failing to tag-and-trade Darnold would be front-office malpractice—given the perceived weak quarterback draft class and at least a handful of teams in the market for a QB upgrade.

Not only that, but Darnold appears to be the best quarterback up for grabs.

"It seems to me, based on my conversations, that in this offseason, of the quarterbacks available, Sam Darnold seems to be the best," Ian Rapoport said from the NFL Combine on Tuesday.

"Darnold seems to be the dude. The Vikings have him. If they want him to be the starter, they could do that. That’s not that hard. They could tag him, or they could reach a new deal based around the tag. If they want J.J. McCarthy to be their starter, they are in an unbelievable position, just being able to hold onto [Darnold] and say, 'You wanna get him? Come get him.' We haven’t seen this a lot."

Rapoport suggested Minnesota could fetch a third-round pick or more for Darnold.

"It’s like comp pick, plus-plus," Rapoport said. "Amazing situation for the Vikings if they’re comfortable enough with J.J. McCarthy to be their guy. They can just auction off Sam Darnold and go, 'Come pay for him.'"

From The Insiders in Indy: The #Vikings have not made a QB decision yet. But if(!) they are comfortable enough for JJ McCarthy to be the guy, they're in an unbelievable situation with Sam Darnold. pic.twitter.com/29j0i5cbgk

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 26, 2025

Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said Tuesday that every option with Darnold remains on the table.

"Yeah, we’re still in that place where we’re having all these discussions. Every option is afforded to us," Adofo-Mensah said. "So right now, we’re in a position where we have options, and we’ll continue to work those options and figure out the best way for the Vikings to move forward."

Darnold passed for more than 4,300 yards with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2024. Minnesota went 14-3 in the regular season, losing twice to division rival Detroit and once on four days' rest to the Rams. In the playoffs, the Rams beat the Vikings again. If you take away games against the Lions and Rams, Darnold and the Vikings were undefeated. However, it was the last two games of the season that carry significant weight in determining Darnold's future.

In losses to the Lions and Rams in Week 18 and the playoffs, respectively, Darnold couldn’t handle the relentless pressure. He completed a combined 43-of-81 passes and was sacked 11 times, including nine in the playoff loss to Los Angeles.

"That was really kind of the core of our offseason—really thinking through that holistically. Not trying to be overweighted by those eight quarters but also not underweighting those last two games," Adofo-Mensah said. "Really, he played a lot of good football for us in Year 1 of the system, so you can expect more later. We're excited [for] the potential for Sam, whatever that ends up being. It's a tough exercise."

Even if the Vikings can’t get a first-round pick for Darnold via a tag-and-trade, a third-round value and mid-round picks would be a big plus, considering the draft cupboard is rather bare in 2025. Minnesota heads into the April 24-26 draft with the No. 24 overall pick, a projected third-round comp pick from Kirk Cousins’s exit last offseason, and a pair of fifth-rounders.

Tagging Darnold comes with the risk that they can’t pull off a trade, but it could just as easily result in a bidding war among teams interested in a 27-year-old Pro Bowl quarterback who was once the No. 3 overall pick. And it might be a calculated risk worth taking if they feel McCarthy can assume the starting role next season.

McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in last year's draft, has described himself as "ahead of schedule" in his recovery from a knee injury. After losing some weight due to a meniscus tear, McCarthy is reportedly back above 200 pounds and on track for a regular offseason.

The countdown to clarity is in the single digits and everyone will know Minnesota's plan within a week.

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