Sam Darnold is due for a significant raise in the offseason after earning Pro Bowl honors and helping put the Minnesota Vikings in a position to secure the No. 1 seed – and a bye week – in the NFC. But just how much Darnold will get remains the subject of debate.
It is key because there could be a price point for the Vikings where they would instead prefer to explore their other options.
Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti predicts a $196 million deal after the Vikings franchise tag Darnold.
“Prediction: The Vikings apply a $39M+ franchise tag on Sam Darnold,” Ginnitti wrote on January 3. “Darnold and the Vikings agree on a 4 year, $196M extension before the July 15 deadline that includes $110M guaranteed.”
“Sam Darnold’s 2024 was a revelation,” Ginnitt wrote.
“Darnold is a pending free agent, so the decision to keep him will prove expensive. But losing him could prove even more costly.”
Darnold is on a one-year, $10 million contract and has earned $63.8 million during his career, per Over The Cap. Ginnitti’s “bold” contract prediction is a 207.1% increase over Darnold’s career earnings.
He would be the 10th-highest-paid QB in terms of average salary.
Justin Jefferson, Kevin O’Connell Rave About Sam Darnold
The belief that Darnold could remain with the Vikings has increased as his play has gotten back to the same level of effectiveness that surprised many around the league at the beginning of the season.
Darnold has endeared himself to his Vikings teammates like Justin Jefferson.
“I feel more proud for him to be a Pro Bowler than me,” Jefferson told reporters on January 2. “For him to go through what he has gone through, and for him come here, and have 14 wins, to be a Pro Bowler – and I’m pretty sure he’s gonna be an All-Pro as well. All of that goes into it. It’s just good to see that from the inside out, and I’m just excited for him, period.”
Darnold has also proven Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell’s vision for him and the team with his play this season.
The coach praised Darnold during the Vikings win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 17.
“You’re playing your absolute a** off,” O’Connell told Darnold in footage released by the Vikings on YouTube on January 2. “Walk into this huddle and tell them it’s about execution and let’s put these guys away right now, alright? Physicality, ball security, finish. You keep making great decisions, man. You’re f****** balling. So freaking proud of you, man.”
O’Connell is not the only Vikings coach whose vision Darnold is helping to realize with his strong campaign.
Vikings QB Coach Hoped to See Sam Darnold Become Pro Bowler
Vikings quarterbacks coach Josh McCown was Darnold’s teammate on the New York Jets during the latter’s rookie season. McCown said at the time that the “best thing” would be seeing Darnold become a Pro Bowler.
Even then, McCown was high on Darnold’s talent.
However, McCown also presciently spoke about the “journey” Darnold would have to embark on in the NFL.
“I think the skills are there. It’s just going about the right way to bring them out the best as possible. I know the expectations are high, but we still have to understand that this is a young kid. He’s still learning a lot about the game. As polished as he is, there are still things he’s going to have to learn as he goes through it. We just have to do everything we can to make the situation as comfortable as possible for him to find success,” McCown told Brian Costello for The New York Post in April 2018.
“He’s an exciting player. He’s talented and he can do pretty much everything in different offenses. He can make all the throws and do the things you ask a quarterback to do. The playmaking ability is an elite trait, and that’s why you pick a guy as soon as we did. That’s exciting”
