Former Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold is heading to the Super Bowl after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in the NFC title game to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl.
Darnold went 25-for-36 on his pass attempts for 346 passing yards and three touchdowns. Moreover, his performance in this game brought back the whole Darnold-Vikings split from last offseason.
On Nov. 30, 2024, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported the Vikings did, in fact, make an offer very similar to the one the Seahawks made. Pelissero acknowledges that the offer only contained a one-year commitment, but the contract Seattle authorized for Darnold also includes a “pay-as-you-go” structure.
Indeed, the only guaranteed compensation for future years that Darnold presently enjoys is a $17.5MM injury guarantee, which does not convert to a full guarantee until after Super Bowl LX.
Nonetheless, Minnesota knew that J.J. McCarthy was their future, and Darnold likely understood that, leading to his decision to head to Seattle. However, on Jan. 25, Vikings’ Jonathan Greenard issued a couple of cryptic tweets after Darnold and the Seahawks defeated the Rams to head to the Super Bowl.
After the game, Greenard just tweeted multiple periods, likely indicating that he’s speechless. He then followed up that tweet with another, with the words “What happened,” accompanied by a GIF. It appears that the defender likely didn’t want Darnold to leave Minnesota last offseason.
Seahawks QB Sam Darnold Talks After Win Over Rams
Moreover, Darnold spoke postgame about is performance against the Rams and his journey going from a potential bust after the situation with the New York Jets, to leading a team to a Super Bowl.
“It’s amazing to be able to do it with these guys in this locker room, with this coaching staff,” Darnold told FOX Sports postgame. “That’s why it means the world to me… I haven’t really thought about [his journey to the Super Bowl] much, to be honest, but I take it one day at a time. That’s it, one day at a time, every single day. Like I said, to be able to do it, it’s a special group, and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.”
Vikings Issued QB Tak Amid J.J. McCarthy Doubt
Amid the questions regarding McCarthy, the question will be whether the Vikings will pursue a QB this offseason. On the Jan. 20 edition of “Up & Adams,” former Vikings pass-catcher Kyle Rudolph believes that Minnesota need to bring in a quarterback who can compete with McCarthy.
“I think they have to bring in a veteran quarterback to compete with J.J. I think it’s a big mistake that they made last year, just handing over the reins and not having a veteran to compete with them,” Rudolph said. “There certainly were a few options, one of which is playing this weekend in the NFC Championship game. Another one, in Daniel Jones, was in the locker room last year.
“I’m a huge fan of and absolutely love his game. And this doesn’t mean that J.J. can’t be your quarterback of the future, but just handing him over a Super Bowl caliber roster and saying, ‘Okay, go for it,’ and not having a veteran that is in that room and competing against them, I ultimately think that you’re not setting him up for success.”
Vikings’ Jonathan Greenard Gets Cryptic After Sam Darnold Makes Super Bowl