Is Franchise Tag an option for Darnold?

BStads wrote:
Nick Wright believes the Vikings should Franchise Tag and trade. Estimated a 2nd Round pick returned.

I dont know all the cap gyrations that might cause? 

But yah, trying to get some compensation for Darnold from somewhere is a worthy endeavor. Especially with so few picks in 25.

Montana Tom wrote:

Matty, two weeks ago I would have agreed with this.  But after this demonstration vs. Cousins and ATL, I'm now hesitant.   Darnold shook that rough patch in the middle of the schedule.  I think we can all prognosticate til the cows come home, but this storyline changes by the week.  For instance, what happens if we go 0-5 the rest of the way?   What happens if we go 5-0 or 4-1 the rest of the way and deep into the playoffs?  Or even make it to the big game?  If the latter were to happen and we were riding on Darnold's tailcoats the way there, I don't see them letting him just walk...plus, he knows that with this supporting cast and with this coaching staff, it is the best place for him to be.

For example...you saw how at the end of Sunday's game how Darnold was actually smiling and showed emotion?  He's been pretty stone-faced all season, even as the wins were stacking up.  I think his post-game interview last week after beating the Cardinals was telling, with his commenting something to the effect of "there's no place I'd rather be".

Honestly, I think we have to wait until the rest of the season to make an intelligent prediction.  I just think this has to play out a bit more.

I find your premise preposterous... since there are only 4 games to go  :D

I think his last game this year....whenever that happens, will have a lot to do with how they handle him. I think they likely want to move on with JJM, but if SD keeps playing like he has the last few weeks, and doesnt show a return to norm, they will likely find a way to keep him in purple for at least 1 more year, and I am ok with that as long as they get him at a team friendly deal and terms.

We'll see how it plays out, but I don't think they'll franchise him. I think they have a general agreement that this year is about maximizing his value on the free agent market while being a bridge QB for us. I don't think they'll reneg on that agreement, by franchising him and stealing his opportunity to get his big contract. Maybe I'm misreading the situation though.

Sounds like "Thx" and "Good Luck" to me...
=============================================

McConnell said Monday he’d “envisioned a moment like that” in reference to the eruption of cheers Darnold received as he was shown on the big screen in U.S. Bank Stadium as the clock ticked down on a 42-21 victory.

The looming reality, though, is that Darnold, who becomes a free agent at season’s end, might not be wearing purple next year. He stamped his résumé for other teams with his 347-yard, five-touchdown performance.

Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips' phrasing Tuesday talking about Darnold’s value alluded to the open-endedness of Darnold’s future.

"We all know that Sam is gonna be a sought-after type of guy from wherever that may be," Phillips said. “Whatever his future ends up being, I know all of us in this building are gonna be happy for him, no matter where that ends up being. I don’t think he has to worry about that anymore.

“The worry might’ve been, okay, this might be my opportunity to play. He’s past all that. He’s proven the doubters, and he’s proven that he can play in this league.”

The Vikings didn’t pay Kirk Cousins, who they beat Sunday, the big bucks last year knowing they planned to draft a quarterback.

With high hopes for first round pick J.J. McCarthy to recover from knee surgery and possibly step in next season, it might not make financial sense for the Vikings to pay Darnold — unless he leads a Super Bowl run in the next two months.

There’s a walking of the line between keeping things in-the-moment and acknowledging the doors Darnold (on a one-year, $10 million deal) is opening for his future.

“If every single day I’m telling them, ‘Hey, let’s just focus on today, don’t worry about it,’ then it becomes maybe I should focus on more than just today,” O’Connell said Monday.

“That’s how I would handle it if I was him. I just can’t say enough about how Sam’s handled himself, thinking back to the different kind of moments throughout his journey this year and how he’s maximized every single up coming out of what’s been a very successful season, chasing improvement.”

Startribune

Montana Tom wrote:

Matty, two weeks ago I would have agreed with this.  But after this demonstration vs. Cousins and ATL, I'm now hesitant.   Darnold shook that rough patch in the middle of the schedule.  I think we can all prognosticate til the cows come home, but this storyline changes by the week.  For instance, what happens if we go 0-5 the rest of the way?   What happens if we go 5-0 or 4-1 the rest of the way and deep into the playoffs?  Or even make it to the big game?  If the latter were to happen and we were riding on Darnold's tailcoats the way there, I don't see them letting him just walk...plus, he knows that with this supporting cast and with this coaching staff, it is the best place for him to be.

For example...you saw how at the end of Sunday's game how Darnold was actually smiling and showed emotion?  He's been pretty stone-faced all season, even as the wins were stacking up.  I think his post-game interview last week after beating the Cardinals was telling, with his commenting something to the effect of "there's no place I'd rather be".

Honestly, I think we have to wait until the rest of the season to make an intelligent prediction.  I just think this has to play out a bit more.

I think we’re at a point where we’re buying high rather than buying low.  The last 6 quarters have been very good performances, against not great teams and all of our recent memory is against the cream puff portion of our schedule.  I don’t think it’s really reflective of his overall value during the season as most of the season I would define as pretty good performance with 2-3 drive killing turnovers a game.  We’re not in the top 10 in terms of yards/game.  We’re barely in the top 10 (9th) in terms of points per game.  Even in terms of pure passing, the Vikings are only 8th in terms of passing yards per game.

If our defense wasn’t 2nd the league in turnovers, we’d probably be having a much different conversation regarding Darnold right now.  If we replay this season, but pretend that we lose Flores (which is possible this offseason), and our defense doesn’t have that Flores touch, and maybe we have a few more injuries and Darnold has the same stats, but the team record is closer to 8-5 and we’re fighting it out with Washington for the last wildcard spot.

3 of our final 4 games are against playoff teams.  3 of those games are in our division and it’s still a very real chance that we’re 3rd in the North at the end of the season.  Then we go to the playoffs, we’ll have a solid chance there, but we’re playing against playoff caliber teams and only one team doesn’t end their season on a loss.  Not to be pessimistic, because I’m not, but there’s a good chance some of the shine wears off playing that stretch of good teams, and if he continues performing at a high level through that stretch he’ll certainly have earned whatever he’ll end up getting.

I'm also of the mindset that we have to let this play out.  Mostly, we don't need to have him focusing on his contract, while our front office points out all his flaws to try and keep the price low, while we're trying to make a playoff run.

supafreak84 wrote:


For an organization that's spent the last few offseasons cutting cap for this offseason and building the team around a rookie QB contract, eating 41 million of it to bring back Darnold on a one year deal would be a tough pill to swallow.

For sure. They have a roster to bolster. Sam was and is a bridge QB. But man did he surpass expectations....which has been fun.

Montana Tom wrote:

Matty, two weeks ago I would have agreed with this.  But after this demonstration vs. Cousins and ATL, I'm now hesitant.   Darnold shook that rough patch in the middle of the schedule.  I think we can all prognosticate til the cows come home, but this storyline changes by the week.  For instance, what happens if we go 0-5 the rest of the way?   What happens if we go 5-0 or 4-1 the rest of the way and deep into the playoffs?  Or even make it to the big game?  If the latter were to happen and we were riding on Darnold's tailcoats the way there, I don't see them letting him just walk...plus, he knows that with this supporting cast and with this coaching staff, it is the best place for him to be.

For example...you saw how at the end of Sunday's game how Darnold was actually smiling and showed emotion?  He's been pretty stone-faced all season, even as the wins were stacking up.  I think his post-game interview last week after beating the Cardinals was telling, with his commenting something to the effect of "there's no place I'd rather be".

Honestly, I think we have to wait until the rest of the season to make an intelligent prediction.  I just think this has to play out a bit more.

I agree with waiting till the end of the season.

 there are 2? qbs in the draft that look like franchise prospect  QB's.

There's maybe 5 NFL teams with openings. 

  IMO  Darnold is  going to be very particular in whom he chooses as  his next employer.  

We'll see?

purplefaithful wrote:

Sounds like "Thx" and "Good Luck" to me...
=============================================

McConnell said Monday he’d “envisioned a moment like that” in reference to the eruption of cheers Darnold received as he was shown on the big screen in U.S. Bank Stadium as the clock ticked down on a 42-21 victory.

The looming reality, though, is that Darnold, who becomes a free agent at season’s end, might not be wearing purple next year. He stamped his résumé for other teams with his 347-yard, five-touchdown performance.

Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips' phrasing Tuesday talking about Darnold’s value alluded to the open-endedness of Darnold’s future.

"We all know that Sam is gonna be a sought-after type of guy from wherever that may be," Phillips said. “Whatever his future ends up being, I know all of us in this building are gonna be happy for him, no matter where that ends up being. I don’t think he has to worry about that anymore.

“The worry might’ve been, okay, this might be my opportunity to play. He’s past all that. He’s proven the doubters, and he’s proven that he can play in this league.”

The Vikings didn’t pay Kirk Cousins, who they beat Sunday, the big bucks last year knowing they planned to draft a quarterback.

With high hopes for first round pick J.J. McCarthy to recover from knee surgery and possibly step in next season, it might not make financial sense for the Vikings to pay Darnold — unless he leads a Super Bowl run in the next two months.

There’s a walking of the line between keeping things in-the-moment and acknowledging the doors Darnold (on a one-year, $10 million deal) is opening for his future.

“If every single day I’m telling them, ‘Hey, let’s just focus on today, don’t worry about it,’ then it becomes maybe I should focus on more than just today,” O’Connell said Monday.

“That’s how I would handle it if I was him. I just can’t say enough about how Sam’s handled himself, thinking back to the different kind of moments throughout his journey this year and how he’s maximized every single up coming out of what’s been a very successful season, chasing improvement.”

Startribune

Wes Phillips said the same thing yesterday in his presser, basically saying they wish Darnold the best and they'll always be rooting for him in this building. He's gone. Vikings are going to saddle up with McCarthy in 2025.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/wes-phillips-sam-darnold-no-longer-has-to-worry-about-his-future-after-proving-he-can-play

StickierBuns wrote:

Wes Phillips said the same thing yesterday in his presser, basically saying they wish Darnold the best and they'll always be rooting for him in this building. He's gone. Vikings are going to saddle up with McCarthy in 2025.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/wes-phillips-sam-darnold-no-longer-has-to-worry-about-his-future-after-proving-he-can-play

Agreed, it would take something extremely good or extremely bad for him not to move on...Question will be is where and do they have the resources to make him successful on the field and not just more wealthy?

Any POS org (i.e. Jets, Vegas, NYG) can write a big chx.

That would be classic Jets to overpay to get back the QB they drafted highly and ruined and subsequently disposed of...and ruin him again..

purplefaithful wrote:

Agreed, it would take something extremely good or extremely bad for him not to move on...Question will be is where and do they have the resources to make him successful on the field and not just more wealthy?

Any POS org (i.e. Jets, Vegas, NYG) can write a big chx.

I think the NFL is learning a big lesson this year about nature vs. nurture...if not patience. And if somewhere down the line, Daniel Jones shows he's been rebuilt by our environment, KOC can probably write his own check. Be wise to extend this guy now before he's gets too expensive. 

Whoever brings in Sam would be foolish if they didn't try to bring in elements of our offense. I certainly believe that KOC's coaching has made Sam a better QB, even without our system and weapons. But if you're going to put him in a totally different offense with a crap line and weapons, you better not expect the kind of performance you're seeing now.

MaroonBells wrote:

I think the NFL is learning a big lesson this year about nature vs. nurture...if not patience. And if somewhere down the line, Daniel Jones shows he's been rebuilt by our environment, KOC can probably write his own check. Be wise to extend this guy now before he's gets too expensive. 

Whoever brings in Sam would be foolish if they didn't try to bring in elements of our offense. I certainly believe that KOC's coaching has made Sam a better QB, even without our system and weapons. But if you're going to put him in a totally different offense with a crap line and weapons, you better not expect the kind of performance you're seeing now.

Bryce Young may end-up being another QB data point regarding the importance of nurture...

I haVe my doubts about the shield culture evolving to patience though. NE is the closest I've seen to it, some might argue Denver didnt hurry Nix given his yr1 success. But it was also widely known he had a high floor coming in. 

And yes, they need to extend KOC and as much of his staff as possible. They cost themselves $$ not doing so already lol!

badgervike wrote:
That would be classic Jets to overpay to get back the QB that they ruined and disposed of.

I cant see him going back there for any amount...Even with Woody over in London as ambassador for the Trump Admin. 

I am starting to re-appreciate drafting one of the top qb's (on paper) for the 24 draft. 25 looks thinner - much thinner. 

Dimes (if they can keep him) and JJM is a pretty rich QB room that I would feel good about with this franchise.

purplefaithful wrote:

I cant see him going back there for any amount...Even with Woody over in London as ambassador for the Trump Admin. 

I am starting to re-appreciate drafting one of the top qb's (on paper) for the 24 draft. 25 looks thinner - much thinner. 

Dimes (if they can keep him) and JJM is a pretty rich QB room that I would feel good about with this franchise.

The whole city of New York has to hate the Vikings, after we took the QB the Jets wanted (Cousins, and for less money), then rehabilitating the QB the Jets drafted (and gave up on), making him look like a superstar, and the Jets incompetent. Next step is rebuilding Daniel Jones to make the Giants look foolish...and KOC like a swami. 

I agree, having Jones back up our franchise QB in 2025 is about as good as it gets. Dimes has 69 starts and playoff experience under his belt. Not many NFL teams have backups of that caliber.

Tag and trade, been saying it for weeks. Vikings front office needs to get something for giving him away after coaching him up and putting him back on the path of top QB

The Tag Darnold drums are beating louder. 

I think RS might be the last person I take QB advice from lol...
=========
https://x.com/vikingzfanpage/status/1866852992449732772
=============================================================
The Minnesota Vikings will face a major decision this offseason when it comes to Sam Darnold and the franchise's future at the quarterback position.

Darnold is coming off a 347-yard, 5-touchdown performance against the Atlanta Falcons, which arguably has elevated him back into the thick of the NFL MVP conversation.
The QB now has 3,299 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on the season, while the Vikings are 11-2 and tied for second place in the NFC just one game behind the NFC North Division-leading Detroit Lions.

But Minnesota also drafted rookie J.J. McCarthy with the 10th-overall pick in April and signed New York Giants cast off Daniel Jones to a contract through the end of this year -- both of which provide existential threats to Darnold's future with the team.

The biggest obstacle, though, is likely still going to be Darnold's market value when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in March of next year. The Vikings inked Darnold to a one-year contract worth $10 million, though some projections have the quarterback commanding between $30-$40 million annually as the top free agent in a weak class.

Asking the Vikings to spend $40 million for one more season of Darnold is one thing, but committing that much over three or four consecutive years is another given that the QB has only really performed like that type of player this season under head coach Kevin O'Connell.

But then there is the franchise tag.

That term is a dirty one to professional footballers, as it is almost exclusively used on elite-level talents who are on the cusp of signing the biggest contracts of their careers. And while most teams employ the tag to rookies coming off of their fourth or fifth years in the league, it can also be used to keep a late-blooming talent like Darnold tethered to a team for an extra season against his will.

Spotrac projects that Darnold will sign a four-year contract worth approximately $34.4 million annually, or roughly $137.5 million over the life of the deal. The franchise tag would tip the scales of a one-year deal for Darnold from the Vikings to over $40 million.

While pricey, it would allow Minnesota to keep Darnold in-house until the franchise gets a better sense of the player it has in McCarthy. Come 2026, the team could either sign Darnold, currently 27 years old, to a long-term deal or cut him loose and then transition to McCarthy as the starter, using the extra money to improve the roster in other areas.

https://athlonsports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-sam-darnold-franchise-tag-contract-jj-mccarthy-nfl

==================================================

Colin, that second surgery was an injection smh....
================================================
https://x.com/TheHerd/status/1866185972414894451

Amid Darnold heater, signs still point to J.J. McCarthy as Vikings' 2025 QB

Sam Darnold has been playing like an MVP candidate lately. He was just named the NFC offensive player of the week after shredding the Falcons' defense for 347 yards and five touchdowns on Sunday. His performance is a big reason why the 11-2 Vikings look like legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

That's led to renewed discussion this week about Minnesota's 2025 quarterback situation. How could they just let Darnold, who is set to hit free agency, walk out the door in the spring?

While it's become a more fascinating decision than anyone may have anticipated, all of the signs still point to Darnold leaving and J.J. McCarthy being the Vikings' QB next year. Why? Because that's been the plan all along — and because GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah doesn't seem like the kind of person who's going to stray from a plan that's been carefully set in place, no matter how loud the outside noise gets.

The Vikings signed Darnold to a one-year, $10 million deal in March to be their bridge to a rookie. Then they traded up one spot to select McCarthy with the No. 10 pick in April — and it's important to note that they loved how he progressed from when he arrived in the spring to when a mid-August torn meniscus ended his season before it began. Based on what he saw from McCarthy in training camp and an impressive preseason opener, Kevin O'Connell declared that the Vikings have "our young franchise quarterback in the building."

While they've kept McCarthy engaged and continued his development behind the scenes, this season has been all about Darnold. He's been brilliant, thriving in O'Connell's offense and posting a passer rating of at least 100 in 11 of the first 13 games this season. And yet, it remains likely that this will be his only season in a Vikings uniform.

The plan has always been for the Vikings to help Darnold play as well as possible, then thank him for his efforts and wish him the best of luck on a multi-year deal with another team. He's played so well that his price tag might be climbing towards $35-40 million per season. Minnesota probably isn't going to be the team to pay that bill.
"I think we all know that Sam is gonna be a sought-after type of guy, from wherever that may be," offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said on Tuesday. "Whatever his future ends up being, I know all of us in this building are going to be happy for him, no matter where that ends up being."

As good as Darnold has been, it would be quite surprising if the Vikings scrap their plan and commit to him long-term. They've been operating, from a roster-building perspective, within the idea that they're going to have the advantage of a rookie quarterback contract moving forward.

McCarthy having cap hits between $5-7 million over the next three years gives the Vikings all kinds of flexibility. They've got Justin Jefferson, Christian Darrisaw, Jonathan Greenard, Brian O'Neill, and T.J. Hockenson signed to expensive multi-year deals. They have an estimated $63 million in effective cap space next season, which will be needed to address weaknesses in free agency and potentially re-sign players like Byron Murphy Jr., Camryn Bynum, and Dalton Risner, among other in-house UFAs.

Bringing back Darnold on the one-year franchise tag (which would cost around $41 million) is an interesting idea in theory, but that would leave the Vikings with minimal cap space for other moves. Signing him to a multi-year deal like the one he'll command on the open market would block McCarthy from getting a chance to prove himself as their starter while he's still on the cheap contract.

Ultimately, the main argument for sticking to the plan comes down to O'Connell and the way he's elevated so many different quarterbacks. He helped Matthew Stafford and the Rams win a Super Bowl. He got MVP-caliber play out of Kirk Cousins early last season. He won games with Josh Dobbs and was competitive with Nick Mullens.

This season's work with Darnold, given his prior track record, has been O'Connell's most impressive feat yet. So why can't he help turn McCarthy, a top-10 pick with all kinds of impressive traits, into a quality NFL starter?

Yes, McCarthy remains a relatively unknown quantity who has played in one single preseason game at this level. That's why bringing someone like Daniel Jones back next year makes sense. Abandoning the plan and throwing a big contract at Darnold after one great season just doesn't feel like something the Vikings are realistically going to do to this offseason.

Then again, if they actually go win the Super Bowl, all bets might be off...
Source: SI

MaroonBells wrote:

The whole city of New York has to hate the Vikings, after we took the QB the Jets wanted (Cousins, and for less money), then rehabilitating the QB the Jets drafted (and gave up on), making him look like a superstar, and the Jets incompetent. Next step is rebuilding Daniel Jones to make the Giants look foolish...and KOC like a swami. 

I agree, having Jones back up our franchise QB in 2025 is about as good as it gets. Dimes has 69 starts and playoff experience under his belt. Not many NFL teams have backups of that caliber.

And Dimes just might be a compelling reason for them NOT TO TRANSITION Darnold...

It's going to be fascinating to watch, never a dull moment with this club.

purplefaithful wrote:
The Tag Darnold drums are beating louder. 

I think RS might be the last person I take QB advice from lol...
=========
https://x.com/vikingzfanpage/status/1866852992449732772
=============================================================
The Minnesota Vikings will face a major decision this offseason when it comes to Sam Darnold and the franchise's future at the quarterback position.

Darnold is coming off a 347-yard, 5-touchdown performance against the Atlanta Falcons, which arguably has elevated him back into the thick of the NFL MVP conversation.
The QB now has 3,299 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on the season, while the Vikings are 11-2 and tied for second place in the NFC just one game behind the NFC North Division-leading Detroit Lions.

But Minnesota also drafted rookie J.J. McCarthy with the 10th-overall pick in April and signed New York Giants cast off Daniel Jones to a contract through the end of this year -- both of which provide existential threats to Darnold's future with the team.

The biggest obstacle, though, is likely still going to be Darnold's market value when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in March of next year. The Vikings inked Darnold to a one-year contract worth $10 million, though some projections have the quarterback commanding between $30-$40 million annually as the top free agent in a weak class.

Asking the Vikings to spend $40 million for one more season of Darnold is one thing, but committing that much over three or four consecutive years is another given that the QB has only really performed like that type of player this season under head coach Kevin O'Connell.

But then there is the franchise tag.

That term is a dirty one to professional footballers, as it is almost exclusively used on elite-level talents who are on the cusp of signing the biggest contracts of their careers. And while most teams employ the tag to rookies coming off of their fourth or fifth years in the league, it can also be used to keep a late-blooming talent like Darnold tethered to a team for an extra season against his will.

Spotrac projects that Darnold will sign a four-year contract worth approximately $34.4 million annually, or roughly $137.5 million over the life of the deal. The franchise tag would tip the scales of a one-year deal for Darnold from the Vikings to over $40 million.

While pricey, it would allow Minnesota to keep Darnold in-house until the franchise gets a better sense of the player it has in McCarthy. Come 2026, the team could either sign Darnold, currently 27 years old, to a long-term deal or cut him loose and then transition to McCarthy as the starter, using the extra money to improve the roster in other areas.

https://athlonsports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-sam-darnold-franchise-tag-contract-jj-mccarthy-nfl

==================================================

Colin, that second surgery was an injection smh....
================================================
https://x.com/TheHerd/status/1866185972414894451

Amid Darnold heater, signs still point to J.J. McCarthy as Vikings' 2025 QB

Sam Darnold has been playing like an MVP candidate lately. He was just named the NFC offensive player of the week after shredding the Falcons' defense for 347 yards and five touchdowns on Sunday. His performance is a big reason why the 11-2 Vikings look like legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

That's led to renewed discussion this week about Minnesota's 2025 quarterback situation. How could they just let Darnold, who is set to hit free agency, walk out the door in the spring?

While it's become a more fascinating decision than anyone may have anticipated, all of the signs still point to Darnold leaving and J.J. McCarthy being the Vikings' QB next year. Why? Because that's been the plan all along — and because GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah doesn't seem like the kind of person who's going to stray from a plan that's been carefully set in place, no matter how loud the outside noise gets.

The Vikings signed Darnold to a one-year, $10 million deal in March to be their bridge to a rookie. Then they traded up one spot to select McCarthy with the No. 10 pick in April — and it's important to note that they loved how he progressed from when he arrived in the spring to when a mid-August torn meniscus ended his season before it began. Based on what he saw from McCarthy in training camp and an impressive preseason opener, Kevin O'Connell declared that the Vikings have "our young franchise quarterback in the building."

While they've kept McCarthy engaged and continued his development behind the scenes, this season has been all about Darnold. He's been brilliant, thriving in O'Connell's offense and posting a passer rating of at least 100 in 11 of the first 13 games this season. And yet, it remains likely that this will be his only season in a Vikings uniform.

The plan has always been for the Vikings to help Darnold play as well as possible, then thank him for his efforts and wish him the best of luck on a multi-year deal with another team. He's played so well that his price tag might be climbing towards $35-40 million per season. Minnesota probably isn't going to be the team to pay that bill.
"I think we all know that Sam is gonna be a sought-after type of guy, from wherever that may be," offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said on Tuesday. "Whatever his future ends up being, I know all of us in this building are going to be happy for him, no matter where that ends up being."

As good as Darnold has been, it would be quite surprising if the Vikings scrap their plan and commit to him long-term. They've been operating, from a roster-building perspective, within the idea that they're going to have the advantage of a rookie quarterback contract moving forward.

McCarthy having cap hits between $5-7 million over the next three years gives the Vikings all kinds of flexibility. They've got Justin Jefferson, Christian Darrisaw, Jonathan Greenard, Brian O'Neill, and T.J. Hockenson signed to expensive multi-year deals. They have an estimated $63 million in effective cap space next season, which will be needed to address weaknesses in free agency and potentially re-sign players like Byron Murphy Jr., Camryn Bynum, and Dalton Risner, among other in-house UFAs.

Bringing back Darnold on the one-year franchise tag (which would cost around $41 million) is an interesting idea in theory, but that would leave the Vikings with minimal cap space for other moves. Signing him to a multi-year deal like the one he'll command on the open market would block McCarthy from getting a chance to prove himself as their starter while he's still on the cheap contract.

Ultimately, the main argument for sticking to the plan comes down to O'Connell and the way he's elevated so many different quarterbacks. He helped Matthew Stafford and the Rams win a Super Bowl. He got MVP-caliber play out of Kirk Cousins early last season. He won games with Josh Dobbs and was competitive with Nick Mullens.

This season's work with Darnold, given his prior track record, has been O'Connell's most impressive feat yet. So why can't he help turn McCarthy, a top-10 pick with all kinds of impressive traits, into a quality NFL starter?

Yes, McCarthy remains a relatively unknown quantity who has played in one single preseason game at this level. That's why bringing someone like Daniel Jones back next year makes sense. Abandoning the plan and throwing a big contract at Darnold after one great season just doesn't feel like something the Vikings are realistically going to do to this offseason.

Then again, if they actually go win the Super Bowl, all bets might be off...
Source: SI

And Dimes just might be a compelling reason for them NOT TO TRANSITION Darnold...

It's going to be fascinating to watch, never a dull moment with this club.

To me the strongest piece of evidence that the Vikings intend to let Darnold hit the market is the signing of Jones. I still think it has to play out a little bit, but Jones does not fit on this team at all with both Darnold and McCarthy.

MaroonBells wrote:

To me the strongest piece of evidence that the Vikings intend to let Darnold hit the market is the signing of Jones. I still think it has to play out a little bit, but Jones does not fit on this team at all with both Darnold and McCarthy.

Ehh, aren't we paying Jones like $400K? And then he's a FA. I'm sure they're getting a good look at him and they also think he might be a better option than Mullens, but I personally am not reading much into 2025 based on Daniel Jones.

pattersaur wrote:

Ehh, aren't we paying Jones like $400K? And then he's a FA. I'm sure they're getting a good look at him and they also think he might be a better option than Mullens, but I personally am not reading much into 2025 based on Daniel Jones.

It's not about the money. Unless the Vikings signed him just for the comp pick, which I doubt, I don't see a way that all three of Darnold, McCarthy and Jones are on this roster in 2025.