Following the best single-season performance of his NFL career, many expect quarterback Sam Darnold to part with the Minnesota Vikings this year and sign a lucrative contract with another team when free agency begins in March.
However, not everyone is in agreement that Darnold leaving is the likely scenario for the Vikings this offseason.
In a recent conversation with Sportskeeda’s Ian Van Roy, NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero shared why he thinks the veteran quarterback returning to Minnesota this year is still “the most logical outcome” of the offseason.
“I would say on paper the most logical outcome of this is Sam Darnold still in Minnesota. J.J. McCarthys missed his entire rookie season coming off knee surgery. They believe in him. They’re not trading J.J. McCarthy. But there’s no precedent for a guy missing an entire year of reps as a rookie and coming back and playing again like it hasn’t happened.
All I know is Sam Darnold played the best football of his career under Kevin O’Connell. The last two games notwithstanding it makes sense for Sam Darnold. All things equal to come back it makes sense for the Vikings to bring him back. They won 14 games with him. …. They also have the franchise tag at their disposal if they choose to use it.”
Are the chances of Sam Darnold re-signing with the Minnesota Vikings in 2025 actually higher than most believe?
Considering he’s one of the most dialed-in NFL insiders in the world, Pelissero’s comments definitely create some doubt about Darnold leaving the Vikings this offseason.
At the same time, it’s not like Minnesota would be getting him back at the same bargain-bin price that he cost the team to sign last year. Thanks to the Vikings steering Darnold in the right direction for the first time in his pro career in 2024, it’s going to cost a lot more to bring him back this offseason.
Paying Darnold a bunch of money to return just doesn’t seem like something Minnesota would want to do less than two years after finally parting with an overpriced Kirk Cousins.
The Vikings used a top-10 pick to select former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he should be able to step into Darnold’s role as the team’s starting quarterback next season.
Unless something goes drastically wrong during the next few months, Darnold remaining with Minnesota for at least one more year doesn’t seem very logical, regardless of what Pelissero thinks or what he has heard.
