The Minnesota Vikings have found something spectacular in Sam Darnold, and that reality isn’t lost on the quarterback.

Darnold spoke with ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” ahead of a dual NFL broadcast that included the Vikings against the Chicago Bears on ABC and the Las Vegas Raiders hosting the Atlanta Falcons on ESPN in staggered starts.

During that interview, the reporter asked Darnold about his impending free agency, to which the quarterback gave the safest possible answer.

“I’m not focused on that at all,” Darnold responded. “I’m really stuck in the moment.”

And while that may be the truth, even if it happens not to be the whole of it, Darnold made some telling comments following his team’s victory over the Bears.

That win put the Vikings at 12-2, in a tie for first place in the NFC with the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles, and paved the way for Minnesota to control its own destiny — win out and capture both the NFC North Division title as well as the top playoff seed in the conference and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

When ESPN’s sideline reporter asked Darnold how it felt to be in that position after spending the last several years as a backup bouncing around the league with the brand of “bust” seemingly destined to taint his reputation in perpetuity, the 27-year-old quarterback who always says the safe thing appeared to reveal a glitch in his public relations armor.

Darnold responded that there is “no other group of guys” with whom he would rather be taking this journey and finding this success, which is telling when it comes to his preferences for the offseason.

Sam Darnold Represents Arguably Best QB Value in NFL This Season

However, it won’t just be Darnold’s preferences that sway the future of the quarterback position in Minnesota.

The two main factors outside of Darnold are the money he’s going to want/be able to command on the open market if and when he hits free agency in March 2025, as well as how team brass feels about rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy heading into next season.

Darnold’s 3,500-plus yards, 29 TDs and 11 INTs through 14 games are a huge reason why he’s so valuable to the Vikings, but the $10 million they’re paying him this season is even more important to that equation.

His market value projections continue to climb, with Spotrac now predicting Darnold will command $36 million annually over the life of a new four-year contract ($143.5 million total). However, if Darnold truly loves his locker room and his situation in Minnesota, he might be willing to consider a discount.

Sam Darnold’s Play Has Been Both Excellent, Complicating for Vikings

Kevin O’Connell has put together one of the best offenses in the league, both schematically and in terms of personnel, which argues for the notion that he can make McCarthy into Darnold. Or, if McCarthy doesn’t work out, the notion that the system in Minnesota can turn around another veteran’s career if he has the requisite skill set.

There’s also the value that McCarthy represents. He costs roughly $5.5 million annually over the life of his four-year rookie contract, and the Vikings can exercise a fifth-year option on that deal in 2028, which will be considerably more than $5 million but considerably less than the $36 million figure Spotrac is quoting on Darnold.

Minnesota also spent a first-round pick on McCarthy (No. 10 overall) in this year’s draft. And while Darnold is young, McCarthy is six years younger at just 21. The Vikings won’t get equal value to the 10th pick if they attempt to trade McCarthy this offseason, and he will need to play at some point if the team ever wants to move him and/or find out if he’s a superior option to Darnold in any way.

That said, if the Vikings make a Super Bowl run — or even something close — parting ways with Darnold could be a public relations nightmare, which might haunt O’Connell and everyone else in the organization if McCarthy, or some other future option, doesn’t ultimately work out.