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Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell looks on during a joint practice with the Cleveland Browns.
The Minnesota Vikings are open to bringing back Sam Darnold after his historic Pro Bowl season in 2024. However, how far they would go to retain him remains unclear. And with that uncertainty, ESPN’s Aaron Schatz offered a “bold” trade idea for the Vikings.
The Vikings have 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy under contract, but Schatz believes he is who Minnesota should part with.
In conjunction with that, Schatz suggested the Vikings sign Darnold to a new contract.
“Sign quarterback Sam Darnold long-term and trade J.J. McCarthy for picks,” Schatz wrote on February 21. “This seems like an absurd idea after the poor wild-card game Darnold had in the playoffs against the Rams, but that was just one game against a very strong, young defensive line. For the entire regular season, Darnold was surprisingly good, ranking 14th in QBR even after adjustments for the players around him.”
“He probably could be signed for a similar contract to the one Daniel Jones signed with the Giants; the Vikings would have a reasonable out after a couple of seasons if Darnold does not continue to play at a high level.”
“Still have a possibility of bringing Sam Darnold back…”
@Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell joined us Super Bowl week and discussed quarterbacks Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy.
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Schatz’s suggestion calls for a cost-adjusted version of Jones’ four-year, $160 million contract, which he signed with the New York Giants following the 2022 season.
The Giants cut Jones in November 2024, and he signed with the Vikings’ practice squad.
How “reasonable” the out in a potential long-term contract for Darnold would depend on how the two sides structure the deal. The Giants took on the second-largest dead cap hit in league history at $69.3 million, spread out over two seasons.
The Giants also did not have to consider a trade for their recent first-round pick like the Vikings would be in this scenario.
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up before the preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
McCarthy’s trade value is unclear, especially considering the Vikings’ investment in him. He did not play during the 2024 regular season after tearing his meniscus in Week 1 of the preseason. He underwent two procedures to address the injury and inflammation that occurred during rehab.
McCarthy is ahead of schedule in his recovery, but he must also regain the weight he lost during the process.
McCarthy told Rich Eisen that he wants an opportunity to start in 2025.
“All I can ask for is a fair opportunity. That’s the one thing that I feel like everybody’s given, and it’s fundamental,” McCarthy told Rich Eisen on “The Rich Eisen Show” on February 4. “When money gets involved, things get complicated and reps get skewed, and there’s different things that come into the whole political world that everyone talks about.”
If the Vikings feel it is too risky to let Darnold go after McCarthy missed the 2024 season, a trade may be the best resolution to avoiding an awkward situation.
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 and Sam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings participate in a drill during training camp.
The Vikings’ quarterbacks have frequently been speculatively linked to other teams ahead of the offseason beyond this trade idea. Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford have been similarly popular suggestions for the Vikings. Those are dominos to come, though.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported the Vikings remain confident in McCarthy as their future QB1.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon listed the Darnold-McCarthy conundrum as the Vikings’ “one big question” heading into the offseason, and it could reshape a large swath of the NFL.
“Sam Darnold? J.J. McCarthy? Both?” Gagnon wrote on February 21. “At times in 2024, Darnold looked like a franchise quarterback. At the end, he did not. Now, he’s still going to cost them oodles of cash if they decide to try to keep him. Or they could just cut bait and turn things over to their first-round pick from a year ago. It’s a call that will have ripple effects throughout the league this offseason.”
