Less than three weeks out from free agency, Sam Darnold’s future remains an open discussion for the Minnesota Vikings.
Appearing on the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Feb. 25, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was asked about his organization’s stance on Darnold with just weeks before he is lost to free agency.
Three words summed up the Vikings general manager’s meticulous process in determining the team’s future with Sam Darnold, which appears to remain the center of his staff’s conversations as free agency looms on March 12.
“We have options,” he said, per The Athletic’s Alec Lewis.
“We’re still on that place where we’re having all these discussions — every option’s afforded to us,” Adofo-Mensah added, referring to the franchise tag or a multi-year extension. “When we [signed Darnold] originally, we wanted to create optionality, and part of the optionality was believing in, betting in a guy who is young, talented. Believing in our infrastructure — able to do the things that we can do with quarterbacks — and so we’re now we’re in a position where we have options, and we’ll continue to work those options, figure out the best way for the Vikings to move forward.”
A former commodities trader, Adofo-Mensah is in no rush to make a final decision on Darnold. The Vikings have until March 2 to franchise tag Darnold, which could be done as part of a trade or simply as a one-year, $40 million retread with the first-time Pro Bowl quarterback.
Deadlines drive results in the NFL, and as many teams’ quarterback situations begin to crystallize, a potential trade suitor for Darnold could emerge in the coming days.
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But if a team is confident they can win a bidding war for Darnold, they would likely be inclined to wait for free agency and avoid the added tax of a trade.
The Vikings don’t have a strong incentive to match competing offers for Darnold with J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings. Darnold could be inclined to take a sweetheart deal.
However, Darnold would likely prefer a destination that would promise him multiple years as a starter, not merely competition for an up-and-coming franchise quarterback like McCarthy.
As the NFL converges on Indianapolis for the week, more discussion and rumors are likely to surface.
