Insider makes shocking prediction about future of Vikings' Sam Darnold

It's believed the Minnesota Vikings decided against using the franchise tag to retain quarterback Sam Darnold before Tuesday's deadline for such a decision because no real trade market materialized for his services during the NFL Scouting Combine that wrapped up this past Sunday. 

During the latest edition of his podcast, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter shockingly suggested that Darnold could re-sign with the Vikings either before or after he becomes eligible to begin speaking with other clubs when the free-agent negotiating window opens this coming Monday. 

"It would not be surprising if the two sides figured out some sort of short-term contract that enabled the Vikings to get Sam Darnold, that enabled him to get paid, that enabled them to run in back in the event that J.J. McCarthy is not fully ready this season from his knee injury, or struggles in the preseason, or experiences whatever type of setback there is," Schefter said about the situation, as shared by Andy Nesbitt of Sports Illustrated. "So to me, Sam Darnold to Minnesota makes sense..."

A 2024 first-round draft pick, McCarthy spent his entire rookie season as a sidelined spectator after he required a full meniscus repair this past August. Minnesota nevertheless is reportedly confident he'll be ready to win games as a Week 1 starter this coming September. 

Meanwhile, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio mentioned on Tuesday afternoon that Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is "content to let" Darnold test the free-agency market next week. 

On Monday, Vikings reporter Alec Lewis of The Athletic hinted that the team could look to hold onto Darnold if his market turns out to be "in the $25M (per year) range." The following day, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic predicted a quarterback-needy team such as the Indianapolis Colts could offer Darnold a deal "worth more than $40M a year."

Schefter seemingly doesn't share Rosenblatt's opinion regarding Darnold's value as the top free-agent quarterback of the offseason. 

"So we’ll see if there is a team out there...that makes a compelling enough offer to pry loose Sam Darnold," Schefter added during the podcast episode. "My guess, as we tape this, is no. My guess is the one that makes the most sense is Minnesota. It’s not exactly what Sam Darnold would have hoped for or wanted but it’s still a favorable outcome in my mind."

Darnold went 14-2 as a starter during his first campaign with Minnesota before he endured nightmare outings in the regular-season finale and the wild-card playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Perhaps those performances scared would-be buyers off to the point that Darnold will decide to re-sign with the Vikings as long as they welcome him back.