Vikings icon shares bold Sam Darnold take after nightmare end to season

Almost immediately after quarterback Sam Darnold produced back-to-back duds en route to the Minnesota Vikings being eliminated from the playoffs in the tournament's wild-card round, analysts such as ESPN's Dan Graziano predicted that the Vikings will let Darnold hit the open market in March and make 2024 rookie J.J. McCarthy their new starter. 

Vikings icon and retired running back Chuck Foreman believes the club should go in a different direction. 

"I'm signing him," Foreman said about Darnold during an appearance on Outkick's "The Ricky Cobb Show," as shared by Ryan Morik of Fox News. "I'm hoping they can both come together in the middle. I understand the money part, but I hope Sam understands his career has been revived right here. And he's got a following here. Make adjustments next season, but I think he should be the guy."

Darnold resurrected his career working under Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell as McCarthy recovered from the full meniscus repair he needed in August. Per ESPN stats, Darnold ended this past regular season ranked fifth in the NFL with 35 passing touchdowns, fifth with 4,319 yards through the air and sixth among qualified players with a 102.5 passer rating. 

While Darnold helped the Vikings win 14 of their first 16 regular-season games, he turned back into the player he was during failed stints with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers for the biggest contests of the campaign. 

When the NFC North division title and No. 1 seed for the playoffs were on the line in Week 18, Darnold completed 18-of-41 passes for 166 yards with no touchdowns in a 31-9 loss at the Detroit Lions. He then connected on 25-of-40 pass attempts for 245 yards with a touchdown, an interception, a second-quarter fumble that was returned for a score and nine sacks taken in this past Monday's 27-9 wild-card playoff defeat against the Los Angeles Rams.

Nevertheless, Foreman suggested Darnold's best days could be ahead of him if he continues to work with O'Connell.

"The guy comes into the league, he's drafted by a team that has no talent (Jets in 2018), he gets labeled," Foreman added about Darnold. "Goes to another team with no talent (Panthers in 2021), gets labeled more. Then he goes to San Francisco (as a backup in 2023), a winning team to get behind the coach that shows him the way … and then he comes here with Kevin, and he takes them to another level." 

It seems unlikely the Vikings will sign Darnold to a multiyear contract following his last two outings, but they could keep their options open by retaining his rights for 2025 via the franchise tag. Then again, O'Connell may already feel confident that he can turn McCarthy into a better version of Darnold, beginning with summer training-camp practices.