Now that the Minnesota Vikings have officially decided not to use the franchise tag on quarterback Sam Darnold, teams are preparing for him to become available as a free agent. Once that happens. he will be free to sign with the team of his choice.
There is a lot of speculation about which team will end up signing Darnold this offseason. After he led the Vikings to a 14-win season and the postseason, his stock surged and he is likely to get a look as a possible franchise quarterback this offseason.
Despite a disappointing end to his season in Minnesota, Darnold still has a lot to offer a team. He is only 27 years old and looks to have rejuvenized his career playing under Coach of the Year Kevin O'Connell in Minnesota.
There is plenty of speculation that he could return to the purple and gold, but plenty of teams are in a situation where bringing Sam Darnold into the locker room greatly improves their quarterback situation.
A new team has emerged in the competition to sign former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold
Earlier today, the Seattle Seahawks traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round draft pick. This leaves them with Sam Howell and former Minnesota Vikings passer Jaren Hall as their next quarterbacks up.
Smith spent the last three seasons as Seattle's starting quarterback, reaching the Pro Bowl in two of those three seasons. The trade ends his five-year tenure with the Seahawks after a career rejuvenation of his own.
The Athletic's Dianna Russini recently shared an article that covered the Geno Smith trade and added a wrinkle to the story. The extra news is that Seattle is now expected to go after Sam Darnold in free agency.
Depending on which analysts are sharing information, the market for Sam Darnold this offseason will be interesting. The media hype for him in free agency is all over the place, just like the speculation about where he will land.
The Minnesota Vikings are not in a desperate situation at quarterback with 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy returning from an injury. While other teams will be hunting for a starting quarterback in free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft to hitch their franchise to, the purple and gold will need to decide if they want to get in the mix to sign Sam Darnold or not.
