Inside The Vikings

Vikings' Sam Darnold named NFC Offensive Player of the Month after 4-0 start

Darnold leads the league in passing touchdowns and passer rating heading into October.
Will Ragatz|
Sep 15, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) reacts after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Sep 15, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) reacts after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Vikings

What a spectacular September for Sam Darnold and his new team.

The Vikings are 4-0 and sitting alone atop their conference. Their quarterback, who signed a one-year deal this spring in the hopes of resurrecting his career, was just named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month.

It's a well-deserved honor. Four weeks into this season, Darnold leads the NFL in touchdown passes (11) and passer rating (118.9). He's second in the league in yards per attempt and third in QBR. And Darnold, who has struggled with turnovers throughout his career, has just three interceptions — one where his arm was hit, another that should've been overturned — and no fumbles.

Darnold, 27, is taking full advantage of a fantastic opportunity and is playing the best football of his career. He has a coaching staff, led by Kevin O'Connell, that believes in him. He has the best wide receiver in the league to throw to, among other weapons. He has a good offensive line in front of him. And he's thriving.

It's been one of the best stories of this NFL season so far. The former No. 3 overall pick, who was cemented as a bust over three seasons with the Jets and continued to struggle for two years with the Panthers, has revived his career. It's still early, but Darnold is following in the footsteps of players like Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield and re-establishing himself as a quality quarterback who just needed to find the right situation.

Next up on the schedule is a game against the team that drafted him, which Darnold is trying to treat just like any other matchup (outside of the fact that it's in London). It's going to be fun to see if he can keep this up.

It's the first player of the month honor of Darnold's career. He's the first Vikings player to win it since Justin Jefferson in November 2022 and the first Vikings QB to win it since Kirk Cousins in October 2019.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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