Few expected Sam Darnold to be more than a bridge quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings after signing a one-year deal this past offseason.
However, after leading the team to a 14-3 record and throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, it’s natural to second-guess his status as just a bridge QB.
Since the season ended with Darnold underperforming and losing the regular season finale to the Detroit Lions and the Wild Card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, his chances of returning to Minnesota are uncertain.
Recently, an analyst made a prediction about where he thinks Darnold will sign this offseason.
Charley Walters of The Pioneer Press said, “The guess here is that Sam Darnold will end up with the Las Vegas Raiders” while adding it’s “to be determined” whether the Vikings will be able to get anything in a tag and trade.
“The guess here is that Sam Darnold will end up with the Las Vegas Raiders”, says @Charley_Walters.
Walter’s continues saying it’s “to be determined” whether the @Vikings will be able to get anything in a tag and trade for
Darnold. pic.twitter.com/bMKN4DBlUg— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) February 2, 2025
The Raiders were in prime position to land either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders with a top-2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
However, head coach Antonio Pierce had other ideas and led the team to a couple of wins down the stretch that knocked them down to the sixth spot in the draft, ultimately resulting in him being fired.
With new head coach Pete Carroll in town, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the 73-year-old didn’t want to sign up to coach a rookie and would instead prefer a younger veteran like Darnold, who just showed he can lead a team to contention.
There aren’t a ton of teams looking for a quarterback this offseason, but it will be interesting to see where the few QB-needy teams look to find their next franchise guy.
