Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold has become one of the best stories in the NFL this season. But his success also means the Vikings have a big decision to make next offseason.
Set to become a free agent next offseason, Darnold’s future in Minnesota has become a hot topic, and during a recent episode of the "With the First Pick" podcast, former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman became the latest voice to share what he believes his old team should do with the quarterback in 2025.
“If I was Minnesota, why wouldn’t you keep Sam Darnold?
...Why not do a potential bridge deal like a Baker Mayfield? Three years, $100 million deal?"
Using Baker Mayfield as a reference point may be a valid argument for Spielman. The No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Mayfield was considered a bust after failed stints with the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers.
But he rehabbed his value while leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the playoffs last season and cashed in with a three-year, $100 million contract last spring.
Darnold was in a similar situation career-wise after being drafted two spots behind Mayfield in 2018. After failing with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers, he spent a year with the San Francisco 49ers before signing a one-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings last March.
Darnold has since revived his career, throwing for 3,299 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while leading the Vikings to an 11-2 record. Spotrac and Over The Cap both estimate he could receive a deal in excess of $34 million annually in free agency next season.
While everyone loves to reference the Mahomes and Love plans, it may not work in today’s NFL. While Mahomes sat his entire rookie year, he began starting in his second season, giving Kansas City four years of a rookie contract window to build a roster around him that won the Super Bowl in 2019 and returned to the Super Bowl in 2020.
Love sat for three seasons behind Aaron Rodgers after he was selected in the first round of the 2020 draft, but the Packers reaped the benefits for one season before having to sign Love to a four-year, $220 million extension last summer.
While keeping Darnold around would be great for McCarthy’s development, it would also light his rookie contract on fire and put Minnesota back in the same situation they were in with Kirk Cousins, whose big salary prevented the Vikings from building a team around them.
With several holes in the roster, keeping Darnold could be a fantasy the Vikings can’t turn into a reality. But for a general manager like Spielman, who couldn’t find his franchise quarterback in the draft and overpaid Cousins for most of his six seasons in Minnesota, hanging onto the quarterback you know sounds like a great plan.
