Troy Aikman said Monday that Sam Darnold's offseason outlook will be very different after a series of brutal performances in high-pressure situations ended the Vikings' season on fire. I gave my opinion on that night.
Darnold completed 25 of 40 passes for 245 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and had a playoff-record nine sacks in a 27-9 wild-card loss to the Rams.
The former NFL great said the conversation surrounding Darnold will change forever after his 16-game recovery was tarnished by disastrous performances against the Lions and Rams in Week 18 for a chance at the No. 1 seed in the NFC. I predicted it.
This comes after Darnold became a free agent after signing a one-year, $10 million contract with Minnesota in the offseason.
“The conversation today is different than the conversation two weeks ago.” Aichman said on ESPN's broadcast of Monday night's playoff game..
“I know they really like JJ McCarthy. He's going to be back, and he's going to be healthy. What's that like for Sam…and he's had a great year. I mean, there's no denying that. He brings a lot of good to this organization. He obviously played a big role, which quarterbacks always do if you're going to win 14 games. He played at a really high level, but this past week and this week. It's going to leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth going into the offseason.”
After being selected No. 10 in the 2024 NFL Draft, there was discussion about whether Darnold would receive a big contract from the Vikings this season, along with a possible trade for McCarthy, who missed the season with a torn meniscus.
Darnold, 27, seemed to have finally found the formula that eluded him after the Jets took him with the No. 3 pick in 2018. He struggled for four years with the Jets, two seasons with the Panthers, and then had a reset season with the 49ers in 2023 as a backup to Brock Purdy.
When McCarthy was injured in the preseason, Darnold took advantage of the opportunity and threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns as the Vikings went 14-3 in the regular season.
But those last two performances, along with that alarming track record, have made the Vikings and other teams looking to use Darnold as their franchise quarterback with the potential to earn him a nine-figure salary this offseason. It's probably in your head.
“The last two weeks are going to have a big impact on his future,” Aikman said. “It's going to have a big impact, not just on the Minnesota Vikings, but on what that's going to look like.” [Darnold] He will go to another team.
“The huge payout that seemed inevitable a few weeks ago doesn't seem to be as big as Sam and others thought. These are important games.”
