The Minnesota Vikings are still hoping to keep Sam Darnold on their roster next season, but after recent events, that outcome appears far less probable.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network on Thursday, despite conflicting reports, Darnold remains a key target for Minnesota this offseason.
“The Vikings continue to be interested in bringing Sam Darnold back, while working to build a team around him,” Rapoport posted on X. “It’s just one of several complex situations the team is navigating.”
Retaining Darnold was always going to be a challenge for the Vikings, especially after drafting J.J. McCarthy 10th overall in 2024. Minnesota chose not to apply the $40 million franchise tag on Darnold before the March 4 deadline, meaning their best chance to re-sign him hinged on a quiet free agency market with no lucrative offers.
Initially, several teams—most notably the Las Vegas Raiders—were viewed as strong contenders to sign Darnold, especially after his impressive season with 4,300 passing yards and 35 touchdowns. But the Raiders addressed their quarterback needs by trading a third-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks on Friday in exchange for Geno Smith.
That trade, however, made Seattle an aggressive suitor for Darnold in free agency. On Saturday, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reported that it’s now “highly unlikely” Darnold will return to Minnesota in 2025.
“After dealing Geno Smith to the Raiders, the Seahawks have made Sam Darnold their top priority,” Schultz wrote on X. “There’s mutual interest from Darnold as well, and according to multiple sources, it’s very doubtful he’ll be back with the Vikings.”
Vikings Have Prioritized J.J. McCarthy Over Sam Darnold for Entirety of Offseason
One of the main obstacles for the Vikings in re-signing Sam Darnold is their insistence on doing it strictly on their terms.
Back on February 21, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Minnesota is fully invested in J.J. McCarthy as the future of the franchise. Any quarterback on the roster in 2025 would be viewed as a temporary option—a “bridge” until McCarthy is ready to take over.
Louis Riddick, also of ESPN, echoed those sentiments on Saturday, emphasizing that McCarthy, not Darnold, remains the Vikings’ primary focus.
“I’d expect that whatever moves the Vikings make, they’ll be aimed at ensuring the quarterback they drafted 10th overall less than a year ago develops into the franchise starter they believe he can be—and sooner rather than later,” Riddick shared on social media.
Vikings Unwilling to Pay Sam Darnold Big Over Multiyear Deal
The Vikings had an option to resolve the situation by placing the franchise tag on Sam Darnold, though it would have come at a steep price. Tagging him would have eaten up nearly two-thirds of the $64 million in salary cap space they have left for 2025.
Beyond the quarterback position, Minnesota also has pressing needs to address in the secondary, as well as along the interior offensive and defensive lines. With only four draft picks in April, adding affordable rookie talent to fill those gaps will be challenging.
While the Vikings could have tagged Darnold with the intention of trading him, that strategy carried significant risk. If Darnold didn’t approve of a potential trade destination, he could have simply signed the tag, leaving Minnesota responsible for the entire $40 million salary without an escape route.
