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Sam Darnold Predicted to Sign With Disappointing AFC Team

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Escarpio | Last updated Feb 27, 2025 9:47 AM ET

Sam Darnold established himself as a starting quarterback after one season with the Minnesota Vikings.

After being drafted in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, he struggled in three seasons with the organization. That was followed by stops in Carolina (2021-22) and San Francisco (2023) before finding a good fit in 2024 with the Vikings.

During his lone season in Minnesota, Darnold led the franchise to a 14-4 record, including a playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams in an NFC wild-card game.

While he flourished in his first season with the Vikings, Scott Engel at NJ.com predicts that Darnold will land with the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency.

Last season, Darnold passed for 35 touchdowns and 4,319 yards with a 66.2 completion percentage.

A move to Las Vegas for Darnold would place him on his fifth team in eight years in the NFL. He would be joining a 4-13 roster that heads into the new season under first-year head coach Pete Carroll.

After a last-place finish in the AFC West, Las Vegas parted ways with head coach Antonio Pierce. As the organization opens a new chapter under Carroll, an upgrade at quarterback seems necessary.

The Raiders started three different quarterbacks last season, including Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell. None of them proved to be the long-term answer under center.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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