Rick Spielman would do 'whatever it takes' to keep Sam Darnold

Spielman thinks the Vikings need to do everything they can to keep Darnold.

Feb 28, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Minnesota Vikings former general manager Rick Spielman on the CBS Sports set at the NFL Scouting Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Vikings are about to compete in a playoff game but the Sam Darnold-J.J. McCarthy debate continues to rage on. Former Vikings General Manager (GM) Rick Spielman thinks Minnesota should do everything it can to retain Darnold for the 2025-26 season.

Spielman struggles to find a reason that would favor the route of letting Darnold walk this offseason. As many have, he referenced Baker Mayfield's three-year $100-millon contract with the Buccaneers as a route Minnesota could take.

"Look at what Green Bay did with Jordan Love. Look what Green Bay did with Aaron Rodgers behind Brett Favre," Spielman said. "Patrick Mahomes sat behind Alex Smith, so if I sit (McCarthy) for two years, why not?"

Former #Vikings GM Rick Speilman would do whatever it takes for Minnesota to keep Sam Darnold and believes J.J. McCarthy needs way more time to heal from his knee injury and develop. pic.twitter.com/X4fNtyTMog
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) January 11, 2025

At this point, everyone is well aware that McCarthy is recovering from a serious knee injury, and Spielman seems to think another year of sitting back and learning from Darnold could be good for the development of Minnesota's quarterback of the future.

"He's a rookie, he's going to start over from scratch. He's not practicing, he's sitting in meetings, he's rehabbing," Spielman said. "He hasn't done one thing since that surgery, except rehab, throw the ball on the side maybe, but he's not practicing, so you're starting from square one with him."

Everyone seems to have an opinion on how Minnesota could approach its quarterback situation this offseason, which is looming large over a potential postseason run. Spielman thinks the Vikings can learn from other successful franchises and there's no reason to rush the development of McCarthy. Darnold has proven he can play the quarterback position at a high level, so the Vikings should keep him as their quarterback until they know McCarthy is ready.

Stay up to date on all things Vikings by bookmarking Minnesota Vikings On SI, subscribing to our YouTube channel, and signing up to receive our free Vikings newsletter.