Vikings Expected to Pursue $53 Million QB to Replace Kirk Cousins

The Minnesota Vikings must find a new starting quarterback for the 2024 season if Kirk Cousins leaves in free agency — and one quarterback they could pursue is Sam Darnold.

On a March 7 appearance on SKOR North’s “Mackey and Judd” podcast, KSTP’s Darren Wolfson responded to a prediction from The Athletic that the Vikings could pursue Darnold if Cousins signs elsewhere.

“If the Vikings lose Cousins, their top target will be [Baker] Mayfield. But if Mayfield doesn’t hit free agency, Minnesota might try to take a flier on a young option with some upside. Darnold has never been in particularly winning situations as a starter but no one has ever questioned his arm talent. After a year in Kyle Shanahan’s system, he might be ready for another shot at starting,” The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt wrote.

Wolfson said the “steam” on Darnold is “legit” and that he is “near the top” of the Vikings’ list of veteran bridge quarterbacks to sign in free agency while a first-round rookie quarterback remains the long-term vision for the franchise

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Sam Darnold on a Similar Path as Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith

Darnold may never shed the bust tag as a former third-overall pick by the New York Jets who has played for three teams in the past four years, but he is still young at 26 and could turn his career around.

Fellow Jets selection Geno Smith shed his reputation as a bust in New York, putting forth a Pro Bowl-level season in 2022 with the Seattle Seahawks.

Darnold has the potential to do the same.

Touted for his arm strength and accuracy coming out of USC in 2018, Darnold flashed promise after being traded to the Carolina Panthers.

Darnold, who suffered a high-ankle sprain during the preseason and subsequently lost the starting job to Baker Mayfield, got his first start in Week 12. He led the Panthers to a 23-10 win over the Denver Broncos. Mayfield requested his release during the team’s bye week after a 1-5 record as a starter before Darnold took over.

Darnold went 4-2 to close the season. He threw seven touchdowns and one interception and added a pair of rushing touchdowns in a five-game span. Carolina went on to trade up in last year’s draft to select Bryce Young and parted ways with Mayfield and Darnold.

Like Mayfield, who landed with Shanahan disciple Sean McVay with the Los Angeles Rams before leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to an unexpected playoff berth, Darnold has gotten some exposure to some of the league’s most quarterback-friendly coaching under Kyle Shanahan the past year.

In his only start with the San Francisco 49ers, Darnold completed 16-of-26 pass attempts (61.5%) for 189 yards passing and two total touchdowns with primarily backups in a 21-20 loss to the Rams in a meaningless Week 18 matchup.

Considering the Vikings surpassed over 400 total yards of offense with Nick Mullens under center, Darnold has the potential to be a competent starter in Minnesota.

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Former NFL Exec Believes Vikings Coaches Would Sign on For Darnold

There’s no arguing that replacing Cousins with Darnold next season wouldn’t be a step back at the position, but there’s also the possibility that the Vikings could build a better roster with the cap savings Darnold brings.

“They’d all have to be on the same page, for sure,” Former NFL executive Randy Mueller told The Athletic. “But what (a player like Darnold) brings you at a cap number of $10 million, with what else the team could do with that money, could sell to coaches.”

Cousins could command a $45 million-a-year contract in free agency. While Darnold has made $53 million in his career, his one-year deal with the 49ers after his rookie contract was affordable at $4.5 million a year.

The 49ers offered that deal with the prospect Darnold could compete with Brock Purdy and Trey Lance for the starting job. A $10 million deal a year deal wouldn’t be an absurd offer the Vikings could extend for Darnold to compete for the starting job with an incoming rookie quarterback.

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