The Minnesota Vikings' decision to let Sam Darnold walk in free agency will be revisited many times throughout J.J. McCarthy's first year as a starter -- for better or for worse.
The Vikings helped Darnold revive his career to the tune of 4,319 yards passing and 35 touchdowns and his first Pro Bowl nod, only to move on from him just months later.
Letting go of a 14-win quarterback in favor of a 22-year-old who has never played an NFL game is a move that is unprecedented and could come back to haunt Minnesota.
However, if Tom Brady has any pulse on building a winner, the Vikings may have made the right decision.
According to The Athletic’s Mike Silver, Brady, a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, was not a fan of the Raiders pursuing Darnold, who went on to sign a three-year, $100 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks.
“The Seahawks’ pursuit of Darnold snuck up on many NFL observers and proceeded in rapid-fire fashion,” Silver wrote. “While some believed the Las Vegas Raiders would try to sign Darnold, minority owner Tom Brady — a seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback whose opinion held great sway — was not in favor of that approach, according to a source familiar with the franchise’s internal discussions.”
Like the Vikings, the Raiders are trying to crack open a win-now window.
Las Vegas hired Pete Carroll in the twilight of his career and signed a veteran quarterback with a proven track record in Geno Smith. The Raiders also drafted running back Ashton Jeanty No. 6 overall to round out an offense that has a budding superstar in Brock Bowers.
Plugging Darnold in that offensive ecosystem could materialize in a playoff bid like it did last year in Minnesota. There's a case that Darnold could have led the Vikings deeper into the postseason if he had returned.
However, Darnold's late-season collapse raised questions about how far he could go and whether he would be worth his price tag — a concern akin to Kirk Cousins.
Instead, the Vikings opted to build around McCarthy's affordable rookie-scale contract, investing $300 million on 14 incoming player contracts.
Those newcomers have made the Vikings roster even better than last year's 14-win team, giving McCarthy the best opportunity to succeed for the next three seasons of his rookie deal.
