In a surprising move during the offseason, the Minnesota Vikings signed San Francisco 49ers veteran Sam Darnold to be their starting quarterback. Now, the team has revealed their true stance on the move after selecting JJ McCarthy in this year’s NFL Draft.
Despite the opportunity to pursue basketball at the Division-I level, he opted to focus on football, showcasing his prowess by throwing for 3,000 yards and 39 touchdowns in his senior year, along with rushing for 800 yards and 13 scores. Darnold joined USC as part of the 2015 recruiting class and stood out during his two-year tenure as the Trojans’ starter, earning accolades such as the Archie Griffin Award and Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year.
Darnold entered the NFL as the New York Jets’ third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He made history as the youngest quarterback to start an NFL game when he debuted for the Jets in Week 1 of the 2018 season against the Detroit Lions. Although the beginning showed promise with a resounding victory, his subsequent seasons with the Jets were marred by disappointment and injury struggles, limiting his appearances to no more than 13 games per season.
With a career record of 17-32, Darnold’s time with the Jets came to an end after three years when he was traded to the Carolina Panthers for future draft picks. The Panthers exercised the fifth-year option on his contract, guaranteeing him over $18 million for the 2022 season. Despite a strong start in 2021, the Panthers faced a turbulent season, and Darnold’s performance mirrored his statistics from his time with the Jets.
Minnesota Vikings Reveal True Stance on Sam Darnold as Their Starting Quarterback
After his stint for the Panthers, Darnold now finds himself playing for the Vikings in the upcoming season. In an article posted on Vikings Wire, Andrew Harbaugh went into detail why Minnesota signed the veteran quarterback.
“During free agency, the team signed veteran Sam Darnold away from the San Francisco 49ers. The former third overall pick is on his third team in three years and is looking for a more permanent home, and the Vikings’ coaching staff believes they can be that.
Not only do they think they are a good home for the former USC Trojan, but they believe they can extract something from him that none of previous three teams was able to.
Yes, the team selected J.J. McCarthy at No. 10 overall in this year’s NFL draft, but they don’t want to rush him. On “SportsCenter,” Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that the team sees “untapped potential” in Darnold and hopes “he can play the entire season” in 2024.
The schedule is very tough for the Vikings in 2024 so letting the rookie quarterback wait is an ideal scenario. In the NFL, though, it’s seldom that plans go as they should, so while the team hopes for it, they need to and are expected to do their best to keep McCarthy ready,” Harbaugh wrote.
During the offseason, Darnold signed a one-year contract worth $10 million with the Vikings. This move comes after the franchise lost star quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons.
It remains to be seen how Darnold will perform with McCarthy as his backup. For sure, a lot of fans will check in to see how the veteran will perform next season and how the rookie will shape up.
