Sam Darnold’s life is tumbling through space time at a speed that only the orbs of New Jersey can keep up with, but we’re doing our best to keep track of every reputable rumor we can find to keep you informed about what might happen with the 27-year-old Minnesota Vikings quarterback.
The window to franchise-tag or transition-tag Darnold closes at 3 p.m. CT on March 4. Free agency negotiations can begin March 10 and players can start signing contracts when the new NFL league year begins on March 12. Let’s dive into the latest buzz…
Feb. 19 —Did Kevin O’Connell leak the Vikings’ Darnold plan?
Synopsis: O’Connell’s Feb. 7 appearance on ESPN Radio went mostly unnoticed, but he had a very intriguing line when talking about Darnold’s future when he said, “We’ll see how the free agency process works out for Sam.”
Subscribe to the Bring Me The Sports YouTube channel
Feb. 17 — Numerous insiders connecting dots between Darnold and Vegas
Synopsis: Add Albert Breer as a reputable insider saying Darnold would make a lot of sense in Chip Kelly’s offense in Las Vegas. Previously, the likes of Adam Schefter, Mike Florio and others have made the same connection.
Feb. 8 — KOC says Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy “for a reason”
Synopsis: O’Connell said Darnold has “played himself into” being a marquee free agent QB. That’s telling, but then he stated that as good as Darnold was, the Vikings “drafted [McCarthy] 10th overall for a reason in what was, in my opinion, a historically good quarterback draft last year.”
Feb. 1 — Viking could use the transition tag on Darnold
Synopsis: The transition tag is cheaper than the franchise tag and gives Darnold an opportunity to still explore free agency. If a team offers him a contract he can’t refuse, the Vikings would have an opportunity match it or let him walk. The cost of the transition tag in 2025 is just over $35 million. In comparison, the franchise tag price is $41.3 million.
