The Minnesota Vikings may not know whether they'll bring Sam Darnold back at this stage of the offseason -- but Justin Jefferson has a feeling.
"I feel like we're gonna bring Sam back," Jefferson said, adding that 14-win seasons don't just fall into a quarterback's lap.
However, there is a caveat.
While Jefferson said that he feels like Darnold will be back, from what he's seen from J.J. McCarthy, the starting job will not just be given to Darnold.
"It will be good to have [Darnold] back, to build and see where it goes, but I definitely think J.J. will have his opportunity," Jefferson said during Super Bowl week. "Seeing J.J., he's definitely going to get his shot and get his opportunity to do something.
"You have to give your first-round pick an opportunity -- that's a must."
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) February 6, 2025#Vikings WR Justin Jefferson gives both sides of the QB dilemma this offseason:
"I feel like we're gonna bring Sam back." Then in regard to JJ, he says: "You have to give your first round pick an opportunity. Thats a must."pic.twitter.com/V2Lf7aXV3H
The dilemma in bringing back Darnold this time around is that it will be much more costly. The days of Darnold competing for a starting job on a backup quarterback contract are over.
Darnold is likely to garner offers north of $30 million a season to be a starter somewhere in the NFL. If the Vikings front that bill, they will not leave Darnold's job open for competition and would effectively relegate McCarthy to a backup role.
While Darnold's career rebirth was one of the best storylines of the NFL season, the Vikings fell flat in the playoffs for a second time during Jefferson's five years with the team.
Jefferson's lucrative four-year, $140 million contract extension aligns with the duration of McCarthy's rookie deal. Minnesota has the runway to exploit the benefits of building around a rookie quarterback salary by paying the surrounding talent big money instead.
The Vikings could go all-in on Darnold for the next couple of seasons, but the moves Minnesota has made signal a timeline of the next four years. McCarthy is the key to maximizing that window.
There is likely a price Minnesota would be willing to bring back Darnold, but it's in Darnold's best interest to wait until the negotiating window of free agency to see if he can strike a better deal.
Jefferson's statement on Darnold could be merely fluffing up his quarterback for his potential free agency or a tag-and-trade ahead.
