The Minnesota Vikings don’t need to let Sam Darnold walk for nothing, and could actually get a more accomplished QB back in a trade.
Darnold will become an unrestricted free agent in March if the Vikings don’t extend him before then, though Minnesota can also use the franchise tag to tether the QB to the team and then seek to shop him.
Darnold probably could have garnered a first-round pick in a deal had he not stumbled in Week 18 and the first round of the playoffs against the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams, respectively. However, since the unceremonious end to what was otherwise a fantastic season that included 4,300 passing yards and 35 TDs, projections of Darnold’s trade value have fluctuated between a second-rounder and a package of multiple selections further down the line — for instance, a fourth-round and fifth-round pick combo.
But trade value in the NFL fluctuates based on the same principles that dictate other businesses, namely supply and demand. There aren’t a lot of quality QBs available in the draft — just two with first-round grades, in fact — and if Darnold hits the open market, he is liable to earn upwards of $40 million annually. Meanwhile, there are at least a half dozen teams interested in procuring a long-term answer under center this offseason that will be fighting over limited options.
Given the circumstances, Darnold’s trade value is considerable in the right scenario and a tag-and-trade option in Minnesota opens up a number of unique possibilities. One such possibility is a straight up swap for Rams starter Matthew Stafford, who has nearly 60,000 career passing yards and a Super Bowl championship on his resumé.
Several analysts connected Stafford and the Rams to Darnold and the Vikings in trade discussions ahead of the mid-season deadline, before L.A. turned things around and made a run to the NFC West Division title and a playoff berth.
But all that did was push off the inevitable during one last run, as the Rams have put wide receiver Cooper Kupp on the trade block and are also shopping Stafford, who recently turned 37 years old and has two seasons remaining on his $150 million contract.
That the Rams are moving on from Stafford indicates a willingness to rebuild, but the team is talented across several units on the roster and has wideout Puka Nacua in his prime. Los Angeles won a playoff game and was a single play away from besting the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the postseason.
There are plenty of universes in which the Rams take a swing on a multiyear contract for a player like Darnold, who is just 27 years old and can keep them relevant/competitive in the immediate.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell came up under Rams head coach Sean McVay, serving as his offensive coordinator when L.A. won the Super Bowl with Stafford in 2021. O’Connell has unlocked Darnold in Minnesota, and there is little reason to believe that McVay couldn’t find the same success with the former No. 3 overall pick in Southern California.
