Insiders are tying Colts to Vikings free agents Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones

There are certainly plenty of suitors for Sam Darnold in free agency, including a potential return to the Minnesota Vikings.

Darnold, who put together by far the best year of his career last season throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions while completing 66% of his passes, is the top free agent quarterback in a weak free agent class. There are plenty of quarterback needy teams, and the quarterback class in the NFL draft is also considered quite weak.

Some teams that are likely interested in Darnold are obvious — the Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, the Las Vegas Raiders and the two teams in New York, but could the Indianapolis Colts be an unlikely suitor for the 27-year-old quarterback?

"I wouldn't rule them out," ESPN's Adam Schefter said of the Colts on the network's Get Up program on Thursday. "I think that they are lurking in the background. I think that they are gonna make a quarterback move. I always thought Daniel Jones would be in play, but Daniel Jones also is gonna have multiple options, and the Colts are gonna add a quarterback. I could see Darnold and I could see Jones, and we'll see how it plays out."

Jones is another free agent Vikings quarterback to keep an eye on. Should the price point on Darnold not be where the Vikings want it, there's been rumblings Minnesota could look to bring on Jones to compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting quarterback role. As a veteran, he could be a bridge should McCarthy not be ready to take the reins this fall.

It appears the Colts have a similar idea when it comes to Jones amid the up-and-down start to Anthony Richardson's career. They seem to be looking to have a quarterback to compete with and be an insurance option for Richardson.

"Daniel Jones seems to be the one that they've got their eye on," The Athletic's Dianna Russini said of the Colts on The Alec Lewis Show — podcast of The Athletic's Vikings beat writer Alec Lewis — on Thursday.

The market for Darnold in free agency is, though, a little unclear. During the season, pundits were floating numbers as high as $50 million per year, but the Vikings declined to use the franchise tag on Darnold, which would have paid him just over $40 million on a one-year deal. That seems to indicate the Vikings don't believe Darnold will command $40 million or more per year on the market. While it may be under $40 million, Schefter still believes it'll be a good market for Darnold overall.

"I think the market is still shaking out, honestly," he said. "Now look, the Vikings made a determination that he wasn't worth $40 million on a franchise tag, so they made a bet that they don't think that he's going to get 40. I think with the way he finished the season, that's going to be a little rich, but I still think he's going to do fairly well on this market."