It appears the Sam Darnold era in Minnesota will be a one-off.
Darnold is not expected to return to the Vikings, who are now focused on other quarterback options they've been pursuing in recent weeks, 撸先生AV Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported Saturday, per sources.
The Vikings' first-round pick J.J. McCarthy (knee) is expected to be cleared to practice this spring after missing his rookie season and could see his time coming in 2025, but Minnesota still wants to add a veteran, Pelissero reports.
Among those options for the Vikings is re-signing veteran Daniel Jones, who is mulling multiple opportunities including that with the Indianapolis Colts, per Rapoport and Pelissero. Aaron Rodgers, who remains under contract with the Jets, is considered a dark-horse candidate to land in Minnesota, per Rapoport.
It's the first development stemming from Geno Smith's trade from Seattle to Las Vegas, per Rapoport, Pelissero and Garafolo. With a starting QB spot now open, the Seahawks will turn their attention to Darnold, who will officially become a free agent when the new league year begins on March 12.
After signing a one-year deal with the Vikings, Darnold authored an incredible comeback story in 2024. The 28-year-old produced career highs in passing yards (4,319), touchdowns (39) and completion percentage (66.2) while leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record. However, Minnesota's success under Darnold came to a screeching halt in the playoffs as they fell to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round as the NFC's No. 2 seed.
Darnold will now enter the open market with several teams looking to supplement a starting QB in free agency. He's the No. 4 overall player in Gregg Rosenthal's Top 101 撸先生AV free agents of 2025 list
