NFL News OT: What happens now with Sam Darnold?

[Hugepatsfan]

Nitpick of the OP, but if Wilson and Fields are in the "cut/traded" list of QBs I think you have to move PIT up to the list that "absolutely" needs a QB.

The Browns already have a lot of money invested in Watson so I think they're going to go the draft route to balance that.

I think the Jets and the Giants will be out because I don't think Darnold will want to go back to NY if he has options.

He's a west coast guy so I can see Vegas BUT Brady is so crazy about QB play I could see him as owner not wanting to pay big for a guy who he probably thinks is a fraud at the position.

Saints have cap trouble and are tied contractually to Derek Carr to the point I'm not sure they'd financially burden themselves to make the swap.

I think Colts/Steelers/Titans make the most sense if he doesn't go back to MIN.

For us, hopefully not TEN because that means they could stay at #1 and take Hunter or Carter which sucks for us. We want as many QBs in the top 3 as possible.

 

[yukon cornelius]

between the draft & FAs, Darnold is still the top choice at QB for a team that is not in full rebuild mode.......the only advantage with the rookies is their contract, but not sure there's a long term NFL starter in the crop

 

[jboston19]

Darnold will still get paid nicely as there’s a scarcity of competent qb play. He probably won’t set the market, but there’ll be no reason for him worrying about money again for the rest of his life.

 

[Ring 6]

Milton is another option for QB needy teams, like Darnold is.

I assume Dalton was a typo.

Nobody is considering my Milton a viable option as a starter. Come on.

 

[Vindicate]

That whole offense got clowned hard yesterday. OL looked bad, people couldn't keep their hands on the ball, etc.

I hate it when a player won't go down even when his forward progress has been stalled. Too much of a opportunity for a strip fumble.

Darnold looked pretty bad but it also just looked like the Rams have been there before and the Vikings hadn't.

What did defenses start to figure out? Collapse the middle and keep the sides tight, and Darnold will crumble?

 

[ScottishPatriots]

Surprised anyone is shocked Darnold folded, he's done it his whole career and was clearly outplayed by Purdy in 49ers camp in 2023.

He won't get a better situation than O'Connell as HC and Jefferson as a WR and he couldn't win a playoff game, Shanahan picked the right guy and most of the media and fans forgot fast, Darnold is a JAG on a hot streak.

He was always turning back into a pumpkin.

 

[Delicate Genius]

The Jets are going to give him $200M over four years.

 

[oldrover]

Went to Denver, who did pay him, FWIW.

I feel like Indy is licking their chops to go 8-9 with him.

Indy went for Rivers, Flacco, Carson Wentz... yeah... sounds right...

 

[TheRainMaker]

I’ve never seen more a of a mirage at QB than Sam Darnold. You look at his stats and see an All Pro, but you watch him play and you see otherwise. His play has been shaky all season and depended on short fields and good defensive play.

The Vikings will let him test the market.

 

[Ross12]

Titans - Need a QB, probably draft Cam Ward at #1
Browns - Need a QB, Watson is done-zo, have #2 pick
Giants - Need a QB, have #3 pick
Raiders - Need a QB, have #6 pick
Jets - Need a QB, have #7 pick
Saints - Carr is there but they're probably looking, have #8 pick
49ers - Purdy is on his final year, if they don't wanna pay him they might be in the market, have #11 pick
Colts - Richardson stinks, they probably are in the market, have #14 pick
Seahawks - Geno is not a franchise guy, they may be in the market. This one's iffy though
Pittsburgh - Need a QB, Wilson nor Fields are the guy

Seems like potentially 10 teams that could be in the market for a starting QB

 

[Triumph]

You move on.

If you examine the Vikings 2024 season you will discover many wins vs lousy teams - Jets, Giants, Jags, Bears x 2.

 

[Since1960]

Seeing ghosts again sure did cost him a bundle…

 

[Stu Pidassle]

They drafted JJ McCarthey with the Tenth pick last year, Darnit was suppose to be his backup, but turned out to be a pleasant surprise when MCarthy got hurt. So they still have MCarthy on the roster, so i don't think they'll be looking for a qb

It could have been a real Cinderella story if Darnold was able to play well in the playoffs. Unfortunately for him he turned into a pumpkin when he fell apart when the pressure built at the end of the season and with the clock striking midnight in the playoff game. The Vikings now have an easy decision to stick with Plan A. Darnold would have made more interesting for the Vikings if he had some success in the playoffs. Would they have spent the money to keep him and traded MCarthy?

 

[Real fan 02]

This is really an interesting situation and really will be an interesting QB market in general this offseason that I'm glad we're avoiding.

I don't think I've ever seen a guy put up the statistical performance he did this season and fall apart so quickly in the final couple games. Ghost boy definitely returned this last week.

So what do the Vikings and the rest of the league do with him now? Darnold clearly cost himself millions with the Vikings. Unless they throw the tag on him, I do not see anyway he returns next year. Think it's really a blessing in disguise for them; they can now move onto the QB they drafted and enjoy his rookie contract the next few years.

The good news for Sam is that this is still a very desperate QB market. You have the following teams who will absolutely need a QB this offseason:
Titans
Browns
Raiders
Giants
Jets

Teams that very likely will be looking:
Saints
Colts
Steelers

That is 8 teams without a clear answer at QB. The other viable options this offseason:

Two QB's in the draft: Ward and Sanders

FA QB's/likely to be cut/traded:
Russell Wilson
Aaron Rodgers
Kirk Cousins
Justin Fields

Russ/Fields likely may not even be seen as viable options. So you may be having 7-8 teams bidding for 4-5 options. A team like the Colts might be dumb and desperate enough to pay Darnold big money anyways. Should be interesting to watch

Darnold had the benefits of throwing to Jefferson and all those weapons. A excellent offensive coach, and he had no pressure on him as initially he was the back up to McCarthy. So he pretty much played to his potential this season.

 

[PatsFan2]

Titans - Need a QB, probably draft Cam Ward at #1
Browns - Need a QB, Watson is done-zo, have #2 pick
Giants - Need a QB, have #3 pick
Raiders - Need a QB, have #6 pick
Jets - Need a QB, have #7 pick
Saints - Carr is there but they're probably looking, have #8 pick
49ers - Purdy is on his final year, if they don't wanna pay him they might be in the market, have #11 pick
Colts - Richardson stinks, they probably are in the market, have #14 pick
Seahawks - Geno is not a franchise guy, they may be in the market. This one's iffy though
Pittsburgh - Need a QB, Wilson nor Fields are the guy

Seems like potentially 10 teams that could be in the market for a starting QB

Is he Quinn Ewers staying or going?? I like Jaxson Dart and Will Howard.

 

[mike_usagisan]

Titans - Need a QB, probably draft Cam Ward at #1
Browns - Need a QB, Watson is done-zo, have #2 pick
Giants - Need a QB, have #3 pick
Raiders - Need a QB, have #6 pick
Jets - Need a QB, have #7 pick
Saints - Carr is there but they're probably looking, have #8 pick
49ers - Purdy is on his final year, if they don't wanna pay him they might be in the market, have #11 pick
Colts - Richardson stinks, they probably are in the market, have #14 pick
Seahawks - Geno is not a franchise guy, they may be in the market. This one's iffy though
Pittsburgh - Need a QB, Wilson nor Fields are the guy

Seems like potentially 10 teams that could be in the market for a starting QB

This is what life is like in the NFL without a QB.

 

[Ross12]

This is what life is like in the NFL without a QB.

Seems so weird to feel like I have hardly experienced it at all. By the time I started following football Tom Brady was taking over for Bledsoe and I got two decades of franchise QB play (and even if I had started earlier, Bledsoe was a franchise guy too). Then I only had to deal with 1 year of Cam, which wasn't really that bad in the grand scheme of things, then it seemed like we had the franchise guy again in Mac Jones in 2021 and to an extent in 2022 as well. 2023 showed that that was not the case, but then in 2024 we hit the Maye era.

So realistically speaking my only years in my serious football-watching life where I was like "oh god my team doesn't have a QB" were 2020 and 2023. Jets fans must hate the **** out of us.

 

[Real fan 02]

This is what life is like in the NFL without a QB.

Agreed and I don't want to love that life anymore!

 

[mike_usagisan]

Seems so weird to feel like I have hardly experienced it at all. By the time I started following football Tom Brady was taking over for Bledsoe and I got two decades of franchise QB play (and even if I had started earlier, Bledsoe was a franchise guy too). Then I only had to deal with 1 year of Cam, which wasn't really that bad in the grand scheme of things, then it seemed like we had the franchise guy again in Mac Jones in 2021 and to an extent in 2022 as well. 2023 showed that that was not the case, but then in 2024 we hit the Maye era.

So realistically speaking my only years in my serious football-watching life where I was like "oh god my team doesn't have a QB" were 2020 and 2023. Jets fans must hate the **** out of us.

Agreed. My 14 year old has only recently started watching Patriots with me, so her QBs were Mac, Zappe and Brissette. That's a lot of crap right there. But assuming Maye works out, we may be out of that hole.

 

[reflexblue]

The Jets are going to give him $200M over four years.

That would be very jest kind of move