Sam Darnold Too Expensive for Vikings? Daniel Jones Might be the Better Option Anyway…
Daniel Jones now plays quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. He chose the Vikings, among about 6-7 very interested teams, according to reports. But that doesn’t mean the 2019 1st round pick is competition for 2018 1st round pick, and current Vikings QB1, Sam Darnold.
Not unless both guys end up back in Minnesota for training camp, 2025, which seems nearly impossible. So… what is the most plausible scenario? No matter what hyperbole they spew, the Vikings brought in Jones because they know that, next offseason, they are going to need another starting-caliber QB.
In a perfect world, that someone would probably be another year of Sam Darnold. But it’s possible that won’t be an option, so they are taking an early opportunity, not just to get an advanced look at Jones, but also to woo him.
What does the Daniel Jones signing mean for Sam Darnold?
According to Dianna Russini (The Athletic) the signing of Jones, this week, does not rule out a Darnold return to Minnesota, in 2025. She also claims it has nothing to do with McCarthy’s return timeline, either. Per Russini, he’s strictly a good QB, looking for a good place to be coached for the rest of this season.
With J.J. McCarthy Minnesota’s only quarterback under contract for 2025, this gives both sides a chance to get a feel for each other over the remainder of the season. It’s not a sign of anything definitive — this move doesn’t rule out Sam Darnold returning next year, and it’s certainly not an indication that McCarthy’s recovery is running behind. It’s simply a smart way for the Vikings to explore their options and keep their quarterback situation flexible for the future.
The biggest question surrounding a return scenario for Darnold, is his availability. The USC alum is only under contract with the Minnesota Vikings for the rest of this season. Nobody knows by how much, but no doubt Darnold will be worth more on the open market in March 2025, then he was in March 2024.
It would not be shocking to see Sam get 2-3 years, for as much as $25-$30 million per season. The Vikings are paying him $10 million this year, and that was coming off of two seasons as a backup in Carolina and San Francisco.
Has Darnold priced himself out of the Minnesota Vikings 2025 budget?
Sure, the Jones signing may not have an impact on Sam Darnold’s future in Minnesota. But is it possible his future is already somewhat decided? If general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wasn’t willing to pay Kirk Cousins, he probably isn’t paying Darnold. So if the Vikings aren’t going to pay him, how exactly does Sam land back in purple? Is he going to give them a discount? No chance.
Related: Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell Gives Update on Ivan Pace Jr Injury Timeline
While Dianna seems more open to the possibility that Sam Darnold returns to the Vikings next season, ESPN insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano are on a different page than their competitor. They believe, from using common sense, combined with what they are hearing behind the scenes, that the 27-year-old quarterback has indeed priced himself out of Minnesota, barring an epic collapse to close the season.
Graziano: The Vikings selected J.J. McCarthy in the first round of this year’s draft, and I guess it’s possible that Darnold plays well enough and McCarthy takes long enough to recover from his season-ending training camp injury that Minnesota brings Darnold back. But McCarthy is going to be the starter there at some point when he’s healthy, and if Darnold finishes strong, he’s going to require a bigger contract than the Vikings will likely want to give a veteran backup.
Fowler: Yeah, Darnold is probably pricing himself out of Minnesota, which was all part of the plan. The Vikings are totally comfortable with Darnold using one season in Minnesota as a springboard to a bigger contract elsewhere.
‘ESPN+ Week 13 Latest Buzz’
If Daniel Jones falls head-over-heels in love for Kevin O’Connell, and begs to return in 2025 for $10 million. Are the Vikings getting Darnold back for any cheaper than $20 million? Before you decide on who they should choose, based on that very unscientific estimation, ask yourself if Sam Darnold is better than Daniel Jones… at the same cost.
Are we sure Minnesota Vikings would rather have Darnold over Jones…?
Sam Darnold was drafted one season earlier than Daniel Jones, but Jones has two more career starts than his new teammate. He also has more completions, more attempts, more yards and less interceptions. He does trail in touchdowns, but that can be a misleading stat.
| Player | G | GS | Cmp | Att | Cmp % | Yds/gm | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Darnold | 77 | 67 | 1,303 | 2,138 | 60.9% | 192.0 | 84 | 66 |
| Daniel Jones | 70 | 69 | 1,437 | 2,241 | 64.1% | 208.3 | 70 | 47 |
According to Pro Football Reference, there is no comparison. Sure, Darnold is a top-10 PFF QB this season, posting an 81.9 overall mark, but that is far and away his highest career PFF grade.
Prior to 2024, Darnold’s best season as a starter, per PFF, was his rookie season with Jets, when he built up a 64.7 overall grade. Daniel Jones was cut by the Giants last week. His overall PFF grade through 10 games this season was 72.0. His highest ever was in 2022, a 76.0 overall grade.
Related: Minnesota Vikings Waive Recently Activated UDFA, Sign Nick Muse to 53-Man Roster
So yes, it is very likely Sam Darnold has priced himself out of the Minnesota. But if he was broken before getting here, then what will Daniel Jones be once KOC fixes him? Because the numbers say that, over the course of his 6-year-career, prior to landing with the Vikings, he was a way better QB than the man currently starting ahead of him.
If you still can’t make up your mind, maybe make your choice based on a bean bag (what outsiders call cornhole) matchup that happened four years ago, between Darnold and Jones. It’s a worthy tiebreaker, in my opinion.
Daniel Jones with the big round! 💁♂️👀
— American Cornhole League (@iplaycornhole) February 14, 2020
He and Sam Darnold put on a show at 2020 Super Hole https://t.co/7xXJr7JIBQ pic.twitter.com/C119S16Kvo
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