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Did the Vikings Really Make a Big Mistake with Sam Darnold?
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- Did the Vikings Really Make a Big Mistake with Sam Darnold?
Joe Nicholson
The NFL season is now officially over. The Minnesota Vikings missed the postseason at 9-8 after going 14-3 the previous year. The Seattle Seahawks just won their first Super Bowl since 2013. Who was Minnesota's quarterback last season and Seattle's this season?
It was Sam Darnold .
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Many have criticized Minnesota big time this whole season, especially now—certainly not a surprise given how both teams finished.
The Vikings ' Quarterback Gamble Sparks Debate
Yes, it is very easy to criticize Minnesota for moving on from a quarterback who helped them win 14 games the previous season to start the still unproven J.J. McCarthy . As crazy as it sounds, it was not as bad a decision as it seems.
Minnesota needed to know, sooner or later, whether McCarthy is the answer. Yes, he may never pan out for the franchise or even in the NFL as a whole. He still can, though. Still early to write him off.
Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
Staying healthy has been his biggest problem after two seasons. He missed all of his rookie season due to a torn meniscus, which he suffered in the first preseason game. This past season, he missed 7 games due to 3 injuries (ankle, concussion, hand). At the same time, he struggled most of the time on the field, but he played better in his final four games.
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Had Minnesota not made it to the Super Bowl with Darnold this past season, there is a very good chance many would have said they should have just started McCarthy on his rookie deal and used the extra cap space elsewhere.
They had a very active free agency due to the large amount of cap space. Signing Ryan Kelly, Javon Hargrave , and Jonathan Allen all looked like great moves at the time. Neither panned out, but at the time, they were considered great signings. Kelly played well while he was on the field, but missed nine games total due to having three concussions.
They were also able to re-sign Byron Murphy Jr and sign Isaiah Rodgers . Murphy did not have as good a year as he did in 2024, but he still had a good year. Rodgers had a good year.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy at organized team activities (OTAs) in May 2025 from a video shared by the team's website. Minnesota drafted McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in 2024.
Many would have also wondered how McCarthy would have played, especially given all the weapons he would have had.
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Would Minnesota have made it to the Super Bowl with Darnold in 2025? Unlikely. You never know in this league, but it is hard to see how that would have happened. There is a very good chance they would have advanced to the second round of the playoffs and, just maybe, to the NFC Championship Game.
Had they advanced to the Super Bowl, would they have won it? Also hard to have seen as a possibility.
Seattle overall has a better roster than Minnesota. Darnold also threw 35 touchdowns in 2024 and 25 this past season. His team this past season did better than his team from 2024 despite that. Once again, Seattle has a better roster.
Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a pass against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
If McCarthy pans out, this will not be a bad decision at all, despite Darnold helping his team win the Super Bowl. If he becomes a bust, it will be a bad decision in hindsight, but it still would have made sense at the time, given he was just drafted the year before in hopes that he would someday be the quarterback of the future.
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At the moment, Minnesota is $40 million over the salary cap via Over the Cap. McCarthy is due nearly $6 million in 2026, while Darnold is due $37.9 million. They would have had to work that much harder to get under the cap if they re-signed Darnold.
Minnesota is also set to draft 18th overall and will have a third-place schedule in 2026. Maybe both will really benefit them. A year from now, McCarthy could make Minnesota look very good. He then would also enter 2027 still under his rookie deal.
