Getty Sam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings.
On his fourth team in seven seasons, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold‘s story has largely been defined by the teams that didn’t want him — but Bill Belichick has pushed back against that narrative.
After throwing four touchdowns in the Vikings’ 34-7 win over the Houston Texans in Week 3, Darnold is on a path of redemption with his efforts in leading the Vikings to a 3-0 start to the season.
Belichick appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” on September 23 with praise for Darnold, saying that the only team that Darnold played on that didn’t like him was the New York Jets, who punted the former No. 3 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers after three seasons.
“I’ll say this, everybody has liked Darnold except the Jets. The people at Carolina that I talked to, they really liked him,” Belichick said. “I know that [Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell] and some of the coaches in Minnesota, they really liked this guy, too. So it seemed like the only people that didn’t like Darnold were at the Jets.”
“Right now the Vikings are one of the top two or three teams in the league..
Everybody has liked Sam Darnold except for the Jets” ~ Bill Belichick #PMSLive
Darnold being well-liked in Carolina makes sense. He went 8-9 as a starter in two seasons and closed the 2022 season with a 4-2 record before joining the San Francisco 49ers in 2023.
Belichick confused the Los Angeles Rams as Darnold’s next stop before landing with the Vikings. But before a Week 2 win over the 49ers, Shanahan echoed Belichick’s sentiment, saying Darnold was wanted back in San Francisco.
The Vikings signed Darnold to a one-year, $10 million deal in March with the intention for him to be the starting quarterback. It’s panned out well so far. Darnold boasts the second-highest passer rating (117.3) and leads the league with eight passing touchdowns.
Bill Belichick Shares Belief in 2024 Vikings
Coming off dominant wins over the defending NFC champion 49ers and AFC-contending Texans, the Vikings are exceeding expectations after their season win total was set to just 6.5 wins in 2024 by several major sportsbooks during the offseason.
“Definitely got be on the lookout for them. It’ll be interesting to see how they can sustain this. I’ve always said that it’s a lot easier to get to the top than it is to stay on the top,” Belichick said.
“I don’t think anybody’s looking past Minnesota, not that they were before, but I don’t think anybody’s looking past them now.”
Vikings Road Underdogs to Packers Ahead of Week 4 NFC North Debut
GettyHead coach Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.
Much like the past two weeks, the Vikings (3-0) enter Week 4 as 2.5-point underdogs to the Green Bay Packers (2-1), according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
This week kicks off both teams’ divisional schedules in what was expected to be a loaded NFC North division.
After an injury scare on Sunday, Darnold is expected to play in Week 4 despite a knee bruise he sustained against the Texans.
The Packers are expected to get starting quarterback Jordan Love back from a two-game absence after he sprained his MCL in Week 1.
Green Bay has won their past two games despite missing Love, leaning on their running game that leads the league with 612 yards through three weeks. The Packers will have a challenge facing a Vikings run defense that has allowed the second-fewest yards this season (71.3 per game).
The Vikings offense has been efficient with the ball, scoring the second-most points (85) so far this season.
Expect the Packers to try and dominate time of possession with the running game while the Vikings defense hopes to stay hot and force turnovers.
Trevor Squire is a sports journalist covering the NFL and NBA for H
