The Minnesota Vikings‘ honeymoon with Sam Darnold seems to be over after he’s thrown five interceptions the past two weeks and leads the NFL with 13 turnovers.
Despite Darnold’s three turnovers in Week 10, the Vikings escaped with a 12-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars — but fans have grown weary that Darnold can truly lead the team deep in the playoffs.
Backup Nick Mullens isn’t the answer if Darnold is having an off night. In three starts in 2023, Mullens threw eight touchdowns and eight interceptions.
However, The Ringer’s Steven Ruiz entertained another possibility: signing free agent Ryan Tannehill.
“We know that Mullens isn’t the solution to the turnover issues. Darnold may be an interception machine, but he provides the offense with a much higher ceiling, which makes up for the lower floor,” Ruiz wrote. “Tannehill, who is currently a free agent, could be a more viable solution and has previously had success in a similar style of offense in Tennessee. He’s comfortable operating from under center in a play-action-heavy attack (which [head coach Kevin O’Connell] would appreciate), and he’s not afraid to give his talented receivers a chance on 50/50 balls down the field (which Justin Jefferson would appreciate).”
Ryan Tannehill Offers Security if Sam Darnold is Off
At this stage of the season, the Vikings know the rollercoaster ride they buckled themselves into when they signed Darnold.
Darnold ranks third with 13 turnover-worthy plays this season, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). He’s also sixth with 15 big-time throws.
Tannehill is an 11-year veteran who could provide some security if Darnold proves to volatile down the final stretch of the season.
After years of highly volatile play, throwing at least 12 interceptions in his first five seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Tannehill put forth a Pro Bowl season with the Tennessee Titans in a more balanced offensive scheme in 2019. He went 7-2 as a starter, averaging 274.2 passing yards per game and finished with 22 touchdowns passing to just six interceptions.
Tannehill did decline in Tennessee, and Ruiz found that he carries roughly the same amount of risk as Darnold and may not remedy the turnover issues.
“Pro Football Focus charged Tannehill with 11 turnover-worthy plays in nine games a season ago—that’s the same number Darnold had through his first eight starts of 2024. Darnold had a turnover-worthy play rate of 3.9 percent coming into Sunday’s game; Tannehill’s career TWP rate is 3.6 percent,” Ruiz wrote. “In reality, Tannehill would probably be a like-for-like replacement for Darnold—just with less mobility.”
O’Connell has proven to get more out of quarterbacks. New surroundings and a talented supporting cast could be enough to offer Tannehill a career renaissance that Darnold has enjoyed.
Bringing in Tannehill as a backup to Darnold could cause some shakiness for the 27-year-old quarterback. It also may not be an upgrade, but it at least offers the Vikings a viable Plan B.
Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell Addresses Benching Sam Darnold
Despite Darnold’s struggles on Sunday against the Jaguars, O’Connell said there was “not one” thought of benching him.
“Not one all day long,” he restated. “In fact, I was looking at it as a great opportunity to see growth and continue to move the team. We’re going to check back on this moment and use it the right way, and Sam is going to be better off for it. I truly do believe that.”
O’Connell added that it would be “craziness” to think otherwise, and drove home that point in his locker room speech.
“We will improve. We will put the ball in the end zone. Sam, everybody in this locker room knows, you are the [expletive] guy that’s going to take us there,” O’Connell said.
