Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold is about to get an offer from one of the AFC’s seven playoff teams last season.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on Sunday, March 9, that the Pittsburgh Steelers will make a play for Darnold when the NFL’s free agency negotiating period officially opens in less than 24 hours. He can agree to a contract with a team other than the Vikings as early as March 12.
“The Steelers are expected to make an offer to pending free agent Sam Darnold, per source,” Russini posted to X. “Many around the league believe Darnold will wind up in Seattle, but Pittsburgh is doing its due diligence on any potential options ahead of the new league year.”
Interest in Sam Darnold From Multiple Teams Makes Return to Vikings Unlikely
The Seattle Seahawks late last week traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, formerly among the top candidates for Darnold’s services in free agency, in return for a third-round pick.
Almost immediately after that deal processed, Seattle became arguably the No. 1 contender for Darnold, who has also reportedly expressed interest in heading back to the NFC West Division after a one-year stint with the San Francisco 49ers as Brock Purdy’s backup in 2023.
“The [Seahawks], after trading Geno Smith to the [Raiders], have shifted their primary focus to Sam Darnold,” Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reported Saturday. “He is their No. 1 option, and there is mutual interest on his behalf as well. It is highly unlikely that Darnold returns to the [Vikings], according to multiple sources.”
Seattle is also going to speak with former Green Bay Packers and New York Jets starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, according to multiple reports on Sunday.
Vikings Now Likely to Look to Daniel Jones as Second QB Alongside J.J. McCarthy
Minnesota’s best chance of bringing Darnold back for another year or two was a lack of interest in him around the league. However, given the developments of the weekend, Darnold may receive multiple offers, which renders a return to the Vikings unlikely.
Darnold’s projected market value is $40 million annually, which Minnesota can technically afford, though paying that much would hamstring the team’s abilities to add to other positions of need in the secondary and on the interiors of the defensive and offensive lines.
As such, the Vikings are likely to head into offseason workouts with a healthy J.J. McCarthy who missed his entire rookie year with a knee injury. After that, the position group is something of a question mark — at least at the top.
Daniel Jones, formerly of the New York Giants, joined Minnesota after hitting free agency via a mid-season release. He never played a snap for the team, though his choice of the Vikings and Darnold’s likely departure in free agency is clearing a path for Jones to at least compete with McCarthy for the starting job come Week 1 in September.
But while Jones is likely the favorite for the role of veteran QB in Minnesota’s clubhouse, interest from elsewhere around the league and a better opportunity to start long-term could sway Jones to another team in 2025. At the very least, it’s likely to drive his price up ahead of free agency, which is also bad news for the Vikings.
