SI.com: Vikings should extend Darnold right now

[pattersaur]

If Darnold continues to play well, the Vikings might check in with his agent and see if they'd add 1 more year on his 1-yr 10 million dollar deal. They'd have to guarantee some money this year and next, but maybe Darnold says yes because of that and the coaching staff. That might be ideal to have two legit QBs as we transition to JJ.

I think that is highly doubtful though. If Darnold has a good year, he'll get multi-year offers from someone else.  And I don't think the Vikings will be one of them. I'm pretty sure they saw enough from JJ McCarthy this offseason to know they got their guy.  If KOC can get this type of play from Darnold, I think he can get the same type of play (or better) from a younger, less scarred, and more physically talented QB on a rookie deal.

To the bold-- Exactly. With how well Sam has played to date, he's already earned the right to make this choice himself. IE, it won't be a piddly backup offer to come back to Minnesota since why not, he knows the playbook.

Dude is balling out!

He's going to get huge offers in the offseason that we won't match. Or he's going to regress and not play as well moving forward, and he'll still get medium sized offers that we won't match.

I'd put his odds at being a Viking next year around 5%, and that 5% is basically accounting for the chance he leads us to the Super Bowl. Wet is right. They'd have to chart a drastically new course if they intend to pay the QB position huge money. If we had more picks in 2025 that'd be a more viable path but lacking those, they'd have to really lean on FAs and a backloaded Darnold deal to make it work with Sam. I don't think KO or KAM has any interest in doing that, unless Sam really goes on a magical run. It's possible!

[medaille]

I’m not convinced that Darnold is an outright good QB. Right now, I think he’s a guy that can succeed in the right situation. I don’t say this to bag on him, but rather to say that I think he’s going to be selective in trying to make sure the next place he goes to is a good landing spot for him, and not just take the largest bag of money from a shitty team. I feel pretty good that with JJM, we can probably duplicate what we’ll get from Darnold. Maybe not in year one, but I think JJM plus a bunch of money is probably as good or better than Darnold and a big contract. So I struggle with the idea that we’re going to resign him for a long term contract at market value. That said, I think there’s room for us to resign Darnold for another year at market value, if the team does pretty well, and none of the good teams he’s looking for have an opening at QB. Obviously, if the Vikings go to the Super Bowl this year, you probably have to try to resign him and run that back.

Regardless, there's zero reason to extend him now, and he probably wants to get full market value.

[purplefaithful]

I’m not convinced that Darnold is an outright good QB.  Right now, I think he’s a guy that can succeed in the right situation.  I don’t say this to bag on him, but rather to say that I think he’s going to be selective in trying to make sure the next place he goes to is a good landing spot for him, and not just take the largest bag of money from a shitty team.  I feel pretty good that with JJM, we can probably duplicate what we’ll get from Darnold.  Maybe not in year one, but I think JJM plus a bunch of money is probably as good or better than Darnold and a big contract.  So I struggle with the idea that we’re going to resign him for a long term contract at market value.  That said, I think there’s room for us to resign Darnold for another year at market value, if the team does pretty well, and none of the good teams he’s looking for have an opening at QB.  Obviously, if the Vikings go to the Super Bowl this year, you probably have to try to resign him and run that back.

Regardless, there's zero reason to extend him now, and he probably wants to get full market value.

Very good points. 

I'm on record of being unsure about haNding the keys to someone as in-experienced as JJM. 

But I agree that the Vikings system, coach and surround give him a very good chance to succeed, and that's where I find my peace. 

Darnold I'm sure would love to stay right here, but for his sake I hope he gets a suitor with a decent surround and coaching staff. Not sure the Raiders are that team, but they will be a suitor for him. Gmen could be too.