Once perceived as a journeyman quarterback, Sam Darnold has found a home in Minnesota.
Or has he? Darnold’s future as a quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings could hinge on his performance in the playoffs.
The Vikings are on the road Monday night against the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams (10-7) to wrap up wild card weekend. Due to the wildfires in the Los Angeles area, the game was relocated to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Monday night’s NFC wild-card battle is set to be Darnold’s first career playoff start. He understands the impact playoff performances can have on careers and legacies.
‘I think, obviously this is the time when people that – whether guys are in the league for a long time, whether they’ve been with the same team for a long time, whether they’re bouncing around the league, it’s kind of where legacies I guess are made in the playoffs, not just winning games, but winning those later games like AFC, NFC championships, winning Super Bowls, that’s how you’re going to be remembered at the end of the day,’ Darnold said to reporters this week. ‘Looking 50 years down the line, that’s what people are gonna remember.’
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He played two underwhelming years with the Carolina Panthers, posting an 8-9 record as a starter. He was the San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback last season before signing a one-year deal with the Vikings in March 2024.
The Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy the very next month. However, the rookie suffered a season-ending knee injury in August, which paved the way for Darnold to occupy the starting job.
Darnold has revitalized his career in Minnesota this season. He’s posted career-highs in nearly every major quarterback statistical category, including completions (361), passing yards (4,319), touchdowns (35) and passer rating (102.5) while leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record.
‘Sam Darnold is a huge reason why we won 14 games. And his teammates know that, we know it,’ Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said this week.
However, Darnold and the Vikings were denied a 15th win when the Detroit Lions ran away with the NFC North title in a 31-9 rout in Week 18. Darnold regressed to some of his old habits in the loss. It was his worst game as the Vikings starting QB. He was inaccurate on throws and missed reads as the Vikings were kept out of the end zone. They finished with a season-low in points scored. Darnold completed just 18 of 41 passes for 166 yards. It was his lowest completion percentage and fewest passing yards in a game all season.
‘It’s just a matter of me being able to trust the throws, trust my feet, trust my eyes, and just letting it rip,’ Darnold said to reporters this week after analyzing his performance for the Week 18 loss. ‘I think that’s the biggest thing is just when I see the throw there, just being able to let it rip and don’t think twice about it.’
Darnold’s ability to bounce back in his first-ever playoff start could determine his fate in Minnesota. He is on an expiring contract and the Vikings have McCarthy waiting in the wings.
The best way for Darnold to obtain stability and build a legacy in Minnesota immediately is to have playoff success. If Darnold has an uneven playoff performance and it coincides with a Vikings early exit, it’s fair to presume he’ll venture on a new journey this offseason.