Report names two likeliest landing spots for Vikings QB Sam Darnold

Before the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants struck out in their pursuits of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, a report claimed that it was "unlikely" the Raiders would "make a large financial commitment to another veteran quarterback who’s expected to be available this offseason." 

It appears the situation changed after the Rams confirmed on Friday they're holding onto Stafford through at least the 2025 season. 

For a piece published Monday morning, The Athletic's Alec Lewis shared that "league sources believe" that the Raiders and Giants "are the two likeliest landing spots for" Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold could begin speaking with other teams when the free-agent negotiating window opens March 10 unless his rights for 2025 are retained via the franchise tag before the March 4 deadline for such moves arrives. 

While the Vikings reportedly are ready to turn to 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy after a full meniscus repair that he needed last summer sidelined him for his entire rookie season, The Athletic has Darnold as the top quarterback set to reach free agency when the new league year begins on March 12. According to Pro Football Reference, Darnold ended the 2024 season ranked fifth in the NFL with 4,319 passing yards and 35 passing touchdowns. He was sixth in the league among qualified players with a 102.5 passer rating. 

"The Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers could also vie for Darnold’s services," Lewis continued. Tennessee could also make Miami quarterback Cam Ward the first pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, while the Steelers allegedly don't want to pay Darnold and instead seem likely to try to re-sign backup Justin Fields over starter Russell Wilson. 

As for Las Vegas, The Athletic reported that league sources said "members of the Raiders’ offensive coaching staff" would rather acquire "a proven veteran quarterback to taking a dice roll on a rookie" this spring. Meanwhile, it's unclear how interested the Giants are in bringing Darnold back to the New York/New Jersey market after he saw "ghosts" during his New York Jets tenure that ran from the 2018 draft through the 2020 season. 

The Giants hold the third pick of this year's draft. They've repeatedly been linked with both Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders throughout the winter. 

"Minnesota still would like to have Darnold back," Lewis added. "...Bringing Darnold back only makes sense if his market is more depressed than expected. The Vikings have numerous holes to fill and must use free agency to do it. They see J.J. McCarthy as their quarterback of the future and don’t want to hinder his progression. They think a better path to building the optimal roster is paying a quarterback like (recent Minnesota backup) Daniel Jones around $10M instead of giving Darnold around $35M. The Vikings’ decision would get tougher if Darnold considered returning for somewhere in the $25M range."

If it's true that at least one team will hand Darnold a contract similar to the three-year deal that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave Baker Mayfield last offseason, it sounds like Minnesota won't match that offer.