Now at 5-8, the Vikings would need a miracle to turn this season into anything meaningful. And for fans hoping to celebrate by checking in on former Vikings around the league, Sunday didn’t offer much good news, as several familiar faces suffered major setbacks.

Daniel Jones Looks to be Done with the Indianapolis Colts

For reasons known only to the Colts, Indianapolis continued allowing Daniel Jones to play through a fractured fibula. He had parlayed his time in Minnesota into a strong season, but everything came crashing down on Sunday.

Here’s the play on which Daniel Jones was hurt: pic.twitter.com/RLJkYCAn4b

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 7, 2025

One of the dangers of playing through an injury is how the body compensates. Jones was already dealing with a fractured fibula, and on Sunday he appeared to suffer a torn achilles in the opposite leg. That was confirmed on Monday and he will undergo season-ending surgery.

It’s an incredibly unfortunate development considering how well he had been playing. Before exiting early on Sunday, Jones had led the Colts to an 8-4 record, completing 67.9% of his passes with a 19/7 TD/INT ratio.

With what is likely a year-long recovery ahead, Jones has almost certainly missed out on a multi-year contract and may even have cost himself the franchise tag. It’s a brutal outcome for both the quarterback and the Colts.

Adam Thielen Does Nothing in Steelers Debut

After being a healthy scratch for the Minnesota Vikings, Adam Thielen sought a fresh start to finish his career. The Pittsburgh Steelers claimed him, giving future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers another weapon. Despite being active just days after joining the team, Thielen was barely involved.

2018 Pro Bowler Adam Thielen with the grab for the Steelers pic.twitter.com/7XDqQNwJ2U

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 7, 2025

His usage didn’t change much from his final days in Minnesota. Thielen saw just one target from Rodgers, hauling in a four-yard reception in his Steelers debut.

Meanwhile, Minnesota’s third wide receiver, Jalen Nailor, the player originally expected to fill Thielen’s role, caught all three of his targets for 30 yards on Sunday.

Cousins Embarrassed by Darnold

Last weekend, the Vikings faced former quarterback Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks but fell short as Max Brosmer struggled. This week, Darnold faced another former Viking, Kirk Cousins, and things went even worse for the Atlanta Falcons starter.

Kirk Cousins gets picked off.

Nick Emmanwori was credited with his first career interception, Falcons gonna lose another game 💀 pic.twitter.com/Jd3aDKvCT0

— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) December 7, 2025

Filling in for the injured Michael Penix Jr., Cousings was expected to resemble the steady veteran who signed yet another massive contract. Instead, he was abysmal. Cousins completed just 15 of 30 passes for 162 yards, threw two interceptions, and posted an 18.4 passer rating.

Darnold, meanwhile, continues his resurgence with Seattle. Revitalized under Kevin O’Connell before departing last offseason, Darnold went 20 for 30 for 249 yards and three touchdowns. His lone interception proved meaningless in a 37-9 blowout.

Cousins has long been known for cashing checks while delivering minimal impact in the win column, and Sunday only cemented that narrative. The Falcons will have a potential out in his contract this offseason, and it’s safe to say the Vikings won’t be lining up to give him another payday.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah spent heavily last spring, yet the Vikings sit at 4-8 through 13 weeks. Significant turnover is coming, and Minnesota must find ways to shrink a massively inflated cap sheet.

One area Kevin O’Connell will need major help is quarterback. McCarthy can’t return as the unquestioned starter, and now one of the quarterbacks they moved on from might unexpectedly hit the open market.

Although the Vikings didn’t want to meet Sam Darnold’s full asking price, they did want him back. Minnesota reportedly offered a similar deal with shorter terms, but Darnold chose stability in Seattle. It’s now possible the Seahawks won’t actually provide that stability after all.

Sam Darnold Could Be Cut by the Seattle Seahawks

NFL insider Dan Graziano recently listed several surprising cut candidates over at ESPN.com. Not only did Darnold make his list, but Dan makes a pretty compelling case for why the Seahawks cutting Darnold this offseason isn’t as crazy as it seems.

Remember, this is the same organization that sent Geno Smith packing, following one of the most productive seasons of his NFL career in 2024, in favor of Darnold.

Darnold signed a three-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seahawks in free agency this year. He is under contract for a very reasonable $28 million in 2026 and $45.7 million in 2027. But as is the Seahawks’ policy with veteran contracts, none of the money beyond the first year was guaranteed at signing.

If Darnold is still on the Seahawks’ roster five days after the Super Bowl (so, Feb. 13), then $17.5 million of his 2026 compensation becomes fully guaranteed. But if they were to cut him before that, they wouldn’t owe even one more penny and would be on the hook for just $25.6 million in dead money.

Odds are the Seahawks keep [Darnold] for 2026. But they build these contracts this way on purpose — to give themselves maximum flexibility. If the Seahawks decide Darnold isn’t their guy — or if they find someone else they think is an upgrade — they would be in position to pivot without very much financial pain.

ESPN

After posting a 66.2% completion rate with Minnesota last year, Darnold has been even sharper in Seattle, completing 68.2% of his passes. He’s thrown 19 touchdowns against just 10 interceptions while helping Jaxon Smith-Njigba emerge as one of the league’s brightest young receivers.

There’s no obvious football reason for head coach Mike Macdonald to reset his quarterback situation, but the Vikings quite literally just made the same choice. If Seattle falls short of a Super Bowl run, the front office could decide to allocate resources elsewhere.

It would be a truly wild full-circle moment if Darnold ended up back in Minnesota. It would be nearly as shocking if he hit the open market at all. For now though, Graziano isn’t ready to rule it out.

There was never a world in which the Vikings were going to match the contract Seattle offered Darnold. However, they certainly put their best foot forward to show how much they wanted him back for this season.

Vikings Offered Sam Darnold a Significant Deal to Stay

After the Vikings used a first round pick on McCarthy, it was all but certain they would eventually turn the position over to him. But when McCarthy missed his entire rookie season due to a knee injury, and after Sam Darnold orchestrated a 14-win campaign, the Vikings clearly wanted to run it back with the veteran.

The Vikings made a similar offer to Sam Darnold as the Seahawks did this past offseason, per @TomPelissero. pic.twitter.com/2P00ifrUTu

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) November 30, 2025

“The Vikings did not simply let Sam Darnold walk. My understanding is they actually made a pretty similar offer to Sam Darnold to the one that he ultimately accepted, three-years $100.5 million with the Seahawks. Now, it was only a one-year commitment, as Seattle’s offer was on paper. Part of the reason the Vikings weren’t willing to go further than that had less to do with the way Sam Darnold played in their final two games last year, than it did that they believe in their first round pick from a year ago, J.J. McCarthy, who would not have had an opportunity to compete for the job. Of course McCarthy is out today with a concussion, Daniel Jones is starting here in Indianapolis, Darnold is a Seahawk, Carson Wentz is on IR, welcome to the party undrafted rookie Max Brosmer.”

Tom Pelissero

It makes sense that Minnesota would be enamored with the rookie quarterback they invested a first-round pick in. The problem is that they badly misjudged his development. Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah operated as if McCarthy’s mental reps during rehab were meaningful indicators of progress. We’ve since learned that wasn’t close to the case.

Last season Darnold threw for 4,319 yards at a 66.2% completion rate, 35 touchdowns, and just 12 interceptions. Expecting anything close to that from McCarthy, especially coming off an injury, would have been unrealistic.

With a $32 million signing bonus, Darnold is making $37.5 million this season from the Seattle. He’ll collect another $27.5 million next year. The first real out in his deal doesn’t come until 2027, which made any one-year offer from Minnesota a non-starter.

If the Vikings truly wanted Darnold back on a one-year contract, they likely would have needed to exceed $40 million. Both Geno Smith and Brock Purdy are above that threshold, and meeting or surpassing it could have maintained continuity while buying McCarthy more developmental time.

At the end of the day, it mirrors the issue they ran into by refusing to guarantee Daniel Jones a starting job. The Vikings placed all their eggs in the basket of false hope regarding McCarthy, and their current 4-7 record shows just how badly that gamble burned them.

It seemed that Kevin O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah faced a key decision this offseason: both Darnold and Daniel Jones were potential free-agent options. However, with Minnesota in town to face the Seahawks, Darnold made it clear that decision had already been made for him.

Vikings made up their mind on Sam Darnold

It never seemed likely that the Minnesota Vikings would re-sign Sam Darnold. Fresh off a 14-win season, he was in line for a significant payday. Short of using a franchise tag–which would have made sense–he wasn’t going to be back. Even if Darnold had wanted to return, it appears the Minnesota braintrust had already made up its mind.

Here was Darnold's answer when asked if returning to Minnesota was a viable option for him. pic.twitter.com/putUCEQNSG

— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) November 28, 2025

The former third overall pick in 2018 had played for three different franchises during his first six professional years. It wasn’t until working with O’Connell in Minnesota that he truly unlocked his performance.

Across 17 games last season, Darnold posted a 66.2% completion rate with a 35/12 TD/INT ratio. Even with a Week 17 flop and first-round playoff exit, his results exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Unfortunately for the Vikings, with McCarthy waiting in the wings, the front office viewed him as a plug-and-play option. They weren’t interested in committing to Darnold long term. They went even further by offering Daniel Jones the most money but telling him he wouldn’t start.

The gamble hasn’t paid off. McCarthy has posted a 2–4 record while ranking among the statistically weaker quarterbacks in NFL history. With McCarthy now concussed, the Vikings will turn to Max Brosmer while the former Michigan signal-caller remains sidelined.

Next season Minnesota will need to decide if they want to double down on McCarthy, or attempt to correct the misstep they made this year.

But while other QBs in his draft class have now started 25+ NFL games, McCarthy has been under center for just two, thanks to a season-ending knee injury that wiped away his opportunity to get on the field as a rookie.

As we now know, that probably would not have happened anyway. The way reality played out, Sam Darnold’s one-year stint in Minnesota was so successful that he may very well go down as head coach Kevin O’Connell’s most prized QB pupil, even after his young coaching career eventually ends.

With the Vikings, Darnold was able to combine his prior NFL experience, his immense talent and KOC’s coaching to go from a first round draft bust that the league had given up on, to one of the best quarterbacks in the entire league. Fast forward to 2025 and Sam Darnold is proving just that, as starting QB for the Seattle Seahawks.

• Sam Darnold 2025 Stats — 7 starts | 1,754 YDS | 12 TD | 4 INT | 109.2 QB Rating

Now that we have seen JJ start his Minnesota Vikings career, in Darnold’s aftermath, it’s clear that a then 21-year-old McCarthy had no realistic chance to take the starting job away from Sam last season. He’s just a better QB, right now, and he almost certainly was better last year too.

JJ McCarthy and Sam Darnold didn’t get along in MN?

In retrospect, though , it sounds like a good thing JJ McCarthy wasn’t in the QB room more often than he was last season, as he rehabbed from the meniscus surgery that ended his rookie campaign before it started. Because according to longtime NFL insider Mike Silver (The Athletic) the two didn’t really get along all that well anyway.

…bringing back Darnold was problematic. He and McCarthy did not forge an especially close relationship during their time together, and it would have been hard to envision the untested youngster winning a fair competition. The vibe didn’t seem right for such an arrangement.

Mike Silver – The Athletic

Related: New Name Added to “Official” Vikings Injury Report, but Don’t Tell KOC

Silver did not expound on the relationship between JJ McCarthy and Sam Darnold, beyond his report that they “did not forge an especially close relationship during their time together”.

But really, if the Minnesota Vikings found it that “hard to envision” a QB room with the both of them, their differences had to stretch deeper than the two of them aligning on opposite ends of the political spectrum or one being more of a hockey guy than basketball.

If general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell factored their relationship into the Darnold decision last offseason at all, then it must mean the two really did not enjoy each others’ company… and that’s probably putting it lightly.

Does it matter how well past MN Vikings QBs got along?

Given all the glowing reviews other teammates have had of JJ McCarthy, since he was drafted by the MN Vikings No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, this report doesn’t affect the way I view the National Championship winner out of Michigan, though it is worth keeping in the back of our minds.

Sam Darnold seems like a down to earth, meat and potatoes kind of personality. The no-nonsense type. With that in mind, what could it have been that bugged him so much about McCarthy, who everyone else claims is as real, and personable as they come?

Related: Brave NFL Expert Picks Vikings Over Lions…

Maybe the answer to that question will matter down the road, but if JJ McCarthy takes the Minnesota Vikings franchise QB job and runs away with it, then nobody will care about how well he and Sam Darnold got along for that one season they were together back in 2024. Just win, baby.

Last season, head coach Kevin O’Connell believed enough in Sam Darnold to bring him in as Minnesota’s bridge quarterback. After McCarthy tore his meniscus and was ruled out for the entire 2024 season, the Vikings QB whisperer turned Darnold into a legitimate MVP candidate, which Sam then parlayed into a big payday this offseason.

After Daniel Jones was dropped by the Giants midseason, he too joined the Vikings’ QB Rehabilitation Club at TCO Performance Center. His time in KOC’s rehab program was brief, however. The 2019 No. 6 overall pick took his talents to Indy this week, instead of finishing O’Connell’s full 12-step program.

Daniel Jones’ decision to bail on KOC rehab program could prove costly

The Minnesota Vikings were hoping to retain the services of Daniel Jones, but now the pressure is on him to prove he doesn’t need Kevin O’Connell to turn his career around, which starts with beating out another former top 10 pick, Anthony Richardson at Colts training camp. Ben Solak (ESPN) is questioning that decision.

On a one-year, $14 million deal, Jones is clearly betting that he’ll get some action in place of Richardson — because of Richardson’s poor play, an injury or a training camp battle — and play well enough to cash in during the 2026 offseason.

If snagging Jones from the Vikings is a big sigh of relief, then your franchise is in a bad way. What happens next? Jones goes 4-4 as a starter in the back half of the season and the Colts are in the same position again in 2026, trying desperately to sign another low-end QB1 in free agency to save jobs for another year?

Ben Solak – ESPN

Daniel Jones left a middling career with the Giants, where he threw 8 touchdowns and 7 interceptions last season, before being cut loose. Solak goes on to call call Indianapolis “a better offensive environment than the Giants ever afforded him,” but he questions “how much success can a team draw from a QB room of Richardson and Jones when it doesn’t have a dominant WR1 and when two starting offensive linemen just left in free agency?”

Therein lies another problem facing the QBs who are leaving KOC’s nest in 2025, which includes Darnold, Jones and Nick Mullens, who signed with Jacksonville Jaguars, where former Vikings assistant QB coach turned Jags offensive coordinator, Grant Udinski. Not only are they losing their QB whisperer, but they’re losing the ridiculous weapons arsenal in Minnesota, which includes Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson and Aaron Jones.

Related: Report: Minnesota Vikings Interested in Former OPOY

With the Colts, Daniel Jones will not have near the talent around him. And while he won’t have to worry about JJ McCarthy, he’ll still have to win the job from a third-year former first No. 4 overall pick that Indianapolis, not only invested a very high draft pick in, but a lot of time too.

Daniel Jones obviously wanted to get back on the field right away, and feels like his best chance to do that is with the Colts, but it remains to be seen whether or not leaving KOC, after just a few months, is the right move for his career, longterm.

Can Sam Darnold succeed without the Minnesota Vikings?

Unlike Jones, Darnold has fully graduated from Kevin O’Connell’s QB Rehabilitation Program, which earned him a new deal worth over $100 million total. Now, with the Seattle Seahawks, Darnold will have to prove that he can still be productive without KOC whispering sweet QB nothings in his ear. Once again, Solak is skeptical.

“It is extremely unlikely Darnold performs in Seattle as well as or better than he did in Minnesota, because Seattle’s offensive nucleus is dreadful compared to Minnesota’s unit. Seattle’s offensive line was one of the worst in the league last season, as Smith was pressured within 2.5 seconds on 18.8% of his dropbacks, the fourth-highest rate according to NFL Next Gen Stats. And the pass-catching group of DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba doesn’t hold a candle to that of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson.”

Of that aforementioned group, only Smith-Njigba is worth getting excited about, And even he is more at the level of Jordan Addison, maybe even Jalen Nailor, than he is Vikings WR1, Justin Jefferson. Let’s be honest, there was a lot that went into Darnold’s excellence in Minnesota, and he won’t have any of that in Seattle.

Related: ESPN: Minnesota Vikings Have Already Won NFL Free Agency

We have seen this story with Darnold before. It played out in both New York and Carolina. As Solak defines it, “this move is simply poor team-building” . That couldn’t be more accurate, and it’s up to Sam Darnold to prove us wrong, being he has struggled at every starting stop, outside of his time with the Vikings.

Sam Darnold unofficially signs with the Seattle Seahawks

But for those hoping to see Sam Darnold back in purple, that won’t be happening. On Monday afternoon, the 2024 MVP candidate QB agreed to terms on a new contract with the Seattle Seahawks.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Free Agency Signings – 2025

Sam’s new deal is worth three years, $100.5 million, with $55 million guaranteed. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Darnold will officially become Seattle’s new QB1 on Wednesday at 3 p.m. CDT.

Sam Darnold just wrapped up the best season of his career, leading the Vikings to 14 wins while throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and just 12 interceptions. He originally signed a one-year deal last offseason to replace Kirk Cousins, and after proving himself, he’s now cashing in on a big payday elsewhere.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Signing New Starting CB

It’s looking more and more like the Vikings are all-in on JJ McCarthy as their starter this season. That said, don’t rule out the possibility of them bringing back Daniel Jones or exploring other quarterback options to add some depth now that Sam Darnold is out of the picture.

NFL insiders, especially since the tag deadline passed on Tuesday, have worked tirelessly to convince us that a long-term contract for Darnold was not only possible in Minnesota, but that the two sides were actively engaged in talks to make it happen.

All this recent reporting on a possible Darnold + Vikings reunion has had quite the butterfly effect across the league’s QB market, too. At one point mid-week, some were so convinced in the Vikings’ interest to retain Darnold that the Las Vegas Raiders were even eyeing up a possible JJ McCarthy trade.

Breaking: Sam Darnold won’t return to the Minnesota Vikings in 2025

But it looks like all of that is now dead. Because over the past 15 hours, league insiders have been using the Seattle Seahawks’ newfound interest in Darnold — after they traded away QB Geno Smith to the Raiders for a 3rd round pick — as the turning point of Sam’s 2025 offseason.

The narrative flipped fast, too. By early Saturday morning, not only were talks between the Vikings and Darnold falling apart, but Tom Pelissero (NFL Network) had already reported what most of us knew deep down.

When free agency officially starts on March 12, Sam Darnold will be too expensive for the Vikings to consider bringing back. Thus, the 27-year-old 2024 MVP candidate will not be returning to Minnesota. Pelissero points to Daniel Jones — “who is mulling multiple opportunities” as one veteran QB the Vikings are trying to pair with McCarthy for 2025.

With the Geno Smith trade opening a spot in Seattle, Sam Darnold is not expected to return to the #Vikings, who are now focused on other options they’ve been pursuing in recent weeks, sources tell The Insiders.

Those options include re-signing Daniel Jones, who is mulling… pic.twitter.com/TYhgG9jPhf

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 8, 2025

What’s next for Darnold, Vikings?

Sam Darnold had by far the best season of his 7-year NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings, tossing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions. In 2024, the former USC star proved to enough teams that his early-career failures were more a product of his situation in New York, than his abilities as an NFL QB.

Related: What Does Raiders QB Trade Mean for Vikings, Sam Darnold?

Now, Sam Darnold will get his chance to prove his worth for the long haul, whether that is in Seattle or elsewhere. We just know it won’t be here. One reason why the Seahawks may be so interested in Darnold — He performed well vs the “12th Man” when the Vikings traveled to the Coffee Capital last season.

It was in Seattle, week 15, that Sam tossed for 246 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, part of a stretch from weeks 10 to 16 in which he threw for 2,012 yards, 18 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions, to put the Minnesota Vikings in position to earn the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC for the playoffs. Of course, we all knew what happened after that.

Raiders trade for Geno Smith; Seahawks interested in Sam Darnold

But while QB questions linger locally, the same can no longer be said in Las Vegas, after the Raiders traded a third round pick to the Seattle Seahawks Friday evening for 34-year-old former second round pick, Geno Smith, who is now expected to sign a multi-year deal worth $40-$45 million per year, once he lands in the desert.

Geno Smith is being traded to Las Vegas Raiders for a third round pick, per sources. pic.twitter.com/vmdvtueBgE

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 7, 2025

This trade officially rules out any chance of recent McCarthy trade rumors between the Raiders and Vikings coming true, not that dealing JJ was ever a realistic outcome in the first place. But this move between Vegas and Seattle shakes the market here in Minnesota, in more ways than one.

There was enough to unpack with this deal immediately upon its announcement, but before anyone had time to process what had happened, multiple reports were already breaking noting heavy interest from a now QB-less Seahawks, in former Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold.

Related: Schefter No Longer Buying Sam Darnold + Vikings Rumors

Now that Seattle is showing even more love for Sam than the Raiders were, it appears even less likely Darnold finds a depressed market next week when he hits free agency, meaning a return to the Vikings becomes even less likely.

QB Sam Darnold’s market has been all over the map the last 24 hours. Once it became known that Seattle was interested in trading with the Las Vegas Raiders last night for Geno Smith, Darnold’s market improved.

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 8, 2025

As Sam Darnold is set to become a free agent next week, he now is expected to have another option available to him: the Seattle Seahawks, who are trading Geno Smith to the Raiders.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 8, 2025

I wrote earlier Friday about the Raiders’ reported interest in JJ McCarthy, should recent reports tying Sam Darnold back to Minnesota on a long-term contract actually come true, something ESPN’s Adam Schefter believed was becoming less and less likely by the hour, when he spoke with KFAN’s Paul Allen this morning.

Geno Smith trade proves the Minnesota Vikings dropped ball on Sam Darnold

Then, there’s the compensation Seattle got in return for Geno Smith, a third round pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. You might remember, that’s the same compensation the Minnesota Vikings needed to get, in order to make a Sam Darnold tag and trade worth the hassle.

Because Kwesi & Co weren’t sure Sam could fetch that on the open market, if they tagged him, they instead decided to let him walk to free agency, in hopes of being rewarded a 2026 late 3rd round comp pick.

Report: Nobody Knows Who is Calling the Shots for Vikings

But if a middling mid-30’s QB like Geno Smith is worth a 3rd round draft pick, like he was traded for Friday, then whoever is running the Vikings should have gotten way more than that for a 27-year-old Darnold, coming off of an MVP season, and who has more arm talent in his right pinky than Smith does in his entire soul.

But no. Instead, the Minnesota Vikings will watch Sam Darnold negotiate with other teams starting Monday, where he will likely get a deal worth more than whatever Geno signs this weekend in Vegas, which he expects to be $40-$45 million per season. And it might even be Geno’s old team that swaps in Darnold.

Friday’s QB trade and rising interest in Sam Darnold also means that the MN Vikings will probably be on the hunt come Monday, for a competent veteran QB to pair with JJ McCarthy. Hopefully, Daniel Jones…?

Instead, the opposite has happened. Since the tag deadline, the last few days have been dominated by reports that Darnold and the Vikings are both interested in running it back on a multi-year deal for the 27-year-old former No. 3 overall pick.

Minnesota Vikings + Sam Darnold rumors leading to NFL interest in JJ McCarthy

That has led other teams watching the Vikings’ situation very closely, like the Las Vegas Raiders, to wonder what possibilities the future may hold. Could JJ McCarthy be the QB in Minnesota that comes available, no Sam Darnold?

According to Raiders beat reporter Hondo Carpenter (Sports Illustrated) — on Thursday’s Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast — Vegas is very interested in JJ McCarthy, should he come available. He expects serious trade offers from the Raiders, should the Vikings and Darnold find common ground on a long-term deal.

“There is a lot of smoke that the Vikings and Sam Darnold are working on an extended deal, which would be two or more years. Last night, by someone who has been giving me information throughout this process, I was told that if Sam Darnold were to get a multi-year deal, that the chances would improve that Minnesota would trade [McCarthy].”

“If JJ McCarthy were to become available, I know that there would be interest from the Raiders. Interested doesn’t mean a trade would be imminent, but I know there would be interest there”

“If it’s a one-year deal for [Sam Darnold], I do not expect McCarthy to be available. I don’t think he’s going to sign a one year [deal]. He might, this part is purely speculative on my part, but I don’t think he will [sign a one year deal]. So if [Darnold] gets a [multi-year deal in Minnesota] then all eyes need to be on JJ McCarthy. I know factually that there would be interest from the Raiders.”

Hondo Carpenter (SI) – Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast

Now, these Darnold + Vikings rumors fly in the face of what has been reported out of Eagan regarding Minnesota’s thoughts on JJ McCarthy,going back 11 months. Even since his meniscus injury, and resulting surgery, not one time have the Vikings expressed concerns regarding JJ’s development, outside of some possible weight loss issues during his recovery.

Related: Nobody Knows Who is Calling the Shots for Vikings

Everything put out publicly, to this point, suggests that Kevin O’Connell loves where McCarthy is at. If anything, the Vikings have remained 100% convinced JJ is the future of their franchise, at QB. That’s why it’s been difficult to make sense of what’s been happening the past few days. But could the tide be changing on this whole, ‘the Vikings want Darnold back’ narrative?

Schefter backpedals on likelihood Darnold returns to Minnesota Vikings

One of the most trusted NFL insiders to throw gas on this week’s ‘Darnold could return to the Vikings’ fire was ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who reported on Wednesday that Sam landing back in Minnesota is what “makes the most sense”.

On Friday, however, Schefty got on KFAN Radio with his buddy, Vikings radio VOX, Paul Allen, where he very much walked his previous report back. Now, Adam believes the opposite of what he reported just two days ago, telling PA, “I don’t view [Sam Darnold returning] as a likely scenario, right now.”

PA: “If it were a 0-10, what number would you put on [Sam Darnold being] the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings next year?”

Schefter: “Not high… not high. Again, as we go over all these scenarios, they’re all in play. But I think [returning to] the Vikings is a down low scenario. I don’t view [Sam Darnold returning] as a likely scenario, right now.”

92Noon with Paul Allen (KFAN Radio) – Friday, March 7

What does this little Schefter nugget tell us about the rumors flying around linking the Minnesota Vikings to a new contract with Sam Darnold? In all likelihood, it means that most of the chatter has being driven by Sam’s representation, not anyone who matters within the Vikings organization.

The insider reporting world is ripe with “quid pro quo” deals between sources and reporters, in all brands of news. That’s especially true in the sports world, however. That’s why it is important to point out who Darnold is currently represented by, which is the very powerful Creative Arts Agency (CAA).

Related: Another Sam Darnold Suitor Revealed

When we start to connect these dots, the reports coming out this week start to make more sense. It’s been Darnold’s representatives pushing their weight around the past two weeks, feeding reporters with one-sided information that they may or may not be able to verify elsewhere, but never with the Vikings.

Since, all offseason long, the those inside of TCO Performance Center have mostly avoided any and all leaks regarding their plans this offseason.

Even Sam Darnold doesn’t know where he might be playing next year

With higher-ups in the Vikings organization refusing to confirm or deny rumors behind the scenes, insiders are forced to rely on other sources for information. Not having the latest info on each team is not an option for guys like Schefter.

That’s why, when asked where he believes Sam Darnold will play next season, Schefter admitted he has no idea. He doesn’t even think Sam has any idea yet, either. Meanwhile, the Vikings aren’t talking to anyone.

PA: “Where would ‘per sources’ lead you to believe where Sam Darnold will play next season?” do you think

Schefter: “I think Sam Darnold is still trying to figure out where Sam Darnold is going to be playing next season. I don’t think he knows, right now, where he will be playing next season.”

92Noon with Paul Allen (KFAN Radio) – Friday, March 7

More than likely, these reports that the Vikings and Darnold are trying to work out a new deal are Sam’s team trying to drive up his price in free agency, before the NFL negotiating period begins on Monday. I would not expect the rumor mill to slow down this weekend, either, as all pending free agents jockey for the best possible negotiating angles.