Sam Darnold had an up-and-down season when it came to his future.
Before the season started, if you had told Darnold he would become the starter and lead the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs with a 14-3 record, he would’ve taken that and believed he had a long-term future with the Vikings or gotten a big payday somewhere else.
This was all true, but in a Week 18 winner-gets-the-one-seed game against their division rival Detroit Lions, Sam Darnold had 166 yards, no touchdowns, and a mediocre 43.9 completion percentage. This followed against the Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs, where he threw a pick, fumbled, and took nine sacks.
The 14-3 Vikings were one and done. Now, he is looking at a better payday this offseason, but his stock fell with his two worst performances coming in the two biggest games of his career.
So, what does Sam Darnold‘s future look like?
Staying Put
Sam Darnold always has the option to stay in Minnesota and attempt to compete for the starting job again. He has proven he can win games with this offense and has a good connection with the receiving core.
After all, he did win 14 games, put up over 4,000 yards, and had 35 passing touchdowns. The issue is that the Vikings don’t have reasons to bring Darnold back. JJ McCarthy was a first-round pick, and they have him on his rookie deal. They can use their cap space to put more pieces around him, so this seems unlikely unless Darnold takes significantly less money than the market will likely offer.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are an intriguing team to watch. Pete Carroll’s hiring as head coach signals that the team isn’t planning a long-term rebuild.
They aren’t a team loaded with talent but are projected to have the second-most cap space this offseason. They also have Brock Bowers and recently hired Chip Kelly as their offensive coordinator. This could be intriguing as Chip is coming off a National Championship with Ohio State as the offensive coordinator.
Kelly ran a different offense than the one he ran in the NFL and showed an ability to develop offensive linemen. With cap space and a need for a quarterback now, this could be a guaranteed starting job for Darnold while getting a massive payday.
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a team desperate for a quarterback, but they haven’t indicated whether they intend to use their first-round pick on one.
Cam Ward and Sheuder Sanders aren’t seen as can’t-miss prospects, and the Titans could look to draft the best prospect in the draft and see if they can continue to rebuild and offer Darnold a two or three-year deal with plenty of money to lure him in but also not tie yourself down to him.
The Titans could use some stability in that position, and they have plenty of cap space to give Darnold a good contract. It’s not the sexiest option, but it could be a smart deal for both sides.
Pittsburgh Steelers
This move seems like the most Pittsburgh Steelers move of all time.
They have consistently been using stop-gap quarterbacks that are good enough to win games but not good enough to get them past the Wild Card round. Russell Wilson ended up being the starter for most of the season and clearly isn’t the long-term answer, and Darnold would be a younger option that a franchise could convince themselves that he’s a long-term starter.
The Steelers also have cap space to make this move. They don’t have many options in free agency, and they consistently win too many games to draft a touted prospect that Darnold looks like their best option going forward.
Final Prediction
The Pittsburgh Steelers seem like a likely destination for Sam Darnold.
They will likely not retain Russell Wilson, as he isn’t the answer. Pete Carroll’s landing in Vegas suggests the veteran quarterback could be intrigued by a reunion there. However, they have the money to offer a deal to Darnold, and they are a team that needs a quarterback and is still in win-now mode.
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