The Minnesota Vikings won't squat on Sam Darnold's rights heading toward free agency.
The Vikings are not expected to franchise tag the quarterback ahead of Tuesday's deadline, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported on Monday night, per sources informed of the situation.
Rapoport and Pelissero added that all parties are working through options to potentially keep him in Minnesota.
The decision aligns with what head coach Kevin O'Connell has said all offseason, namely that Darnold has earned the right to test the open market.
The franchise tag for quarterbacks is $40.242 million for the non-exclusive tender. That one-year figure could be richer than the Vikings want to spend on another bridge season with Darnold.
O'Connell noted during the NFL Scouting Combine that 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie campaign after hurting his knee in the preseason, is in a good pace in rehab as we work toward the offseason program.
The Vikings have said, dating back to last year, that they'd like to keep Darnold. However, McCarthy's presence makes a true lucrative long-term contract unlikely. Coming off the best year of his career, the Darnold could cash in on a big deal as the best signal-caller entering free agency. In a year that also is believed to be shallow from a draft perspective, the 27 year old has leverage few quarterbacks enjoy.
After flaming out in New York, the former No. 3 overall pick meandered from Carolina to San Francisco before landing in Minnesota on a one-year deal last offseason. Under O'Connell's tutelage in a passer-friendly offense, with the highest-paid receiver in the NFL in Justin Jefferson, Darnold had a smashing season. He passed for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns with a 66.2 passer rating, all career highs.
Despite helping the Vikings gut out a slew of one-score tilts, Darnold struggled to close the season. A scatter-shot Week 18 against the blitz-happy Lions turned into another blowout disappointment in the Wild Card Round loss to Los Angeles. The back-to-back struggles against playoff teams could color Darnold's free agency.
If he's not poised to get a game-changing payday on the open market, the Vikings could be a cushy option for the veteran entering Year 8. He'd likely compete with McCarthy for the starting gig, and if the youngster isn't physically ready, Darnold would continue to manage an offense that he knows and is comfortable in. Given how his career started, that's not the worst option for a player many gave up on after New York.
