The Minnesota Vikings are suddenly in the market for another quarterback at the trade deadline, and while pitches for Kirk Cousins of the Las Vegas Raiders and Daniel Jones of the Indianapolis Colts are popular, a move for another former Vikings signal-caller is within the realm of possibility.
It isn’t likely that the Seattle Seahawks will trade Sam Darnold after inking him to a $100.5 million contract in 2025 and going on to win the Super Bowl that year. He has a strong connection with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the defending champs are still .500 (4-4) despite ineptitude in the run game after they let Kenneth Walker III depart in free agency.
But Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggested this week that Seattle may be “soft benching” Darnold based on his injury concerns, which Florio also contended may be happening with Carson Wentz stepping in for Kyler Murray on “Monday Night Football” against the Buffalo Bills due to hamstring tightness.
Reports out of Seattle indicate Darnold is dealing with a quad injury and a cracked rib, which sounds more serious than Murray’s risk of a hamstring strain. But if Florio is right, and the Seahawks are playing to fans who have clamored for Drew Lock to get a chance to lead the Seattle offense, then Darnold’s time could be short.
Sam Darnold’s Best NFL Season Came With Vikings in 2024
Darnold is in the second season of his three-year contract and playing at 29 years old.
He was excellent in the playoffs on the Seahawks’ way to a championship, though he struggled to protect the football last season. Darnold finished the year with 4,048 yards, 25 TDs and 14 INTs while adding 11 fumbles, six of them lost, for 20 total turnovers.
So far this year, Darnold has seen his completion rate drop 7.5 percent to 60.2 percent. He has 1,478 yards, 10 TDs and nine INTs but has lost no fumbles.
During his one season in Minnesota, the Vikings went 14-3 and came one win shy of the division title and the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC. Darnold earned the first Pro-Bowl honors of his career on the strength of 4,319 passing yards, 45 TDs and 12 INTs.
Daniel Jones, Kirk Cousins More Likely Trade Acquisitions for Vikings Ahead of NFL Deadline
Darnold probably won’t come cheap, if he is available at all. And it just feels unlikely that the Seahawks will make such a big move absent a strong offer from the Vikings (probably something in the range of a second-round pick) and a monster performance from Lock against the Arizona Cardinals Sunday.
Cousins also doesn’t feel like a surefire trade candidate, as the Raiders are 4-4 and he is second in the league with 19 TD passes behind only Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals with 20 such throws.
Jones has the best chances of getting traded, and would probably also come cheapest, after the Colts have struggled mightily this season and have already sold off a couple of major players on their roster. Indianapolis signed Jones to a two-year, $88 million extension that runs through 2027, so Minnesota trading for him would equate to doing the Colts a financial favor as they head into full rebuild mode.
“[Jones] returned to start this season but is second-to-last in the NFL with a 39.6 QBR and has only five touchdown passes and nine interceptions,” Judd Zulgad wrote Friday. “The price to cut Jones before mid-March would be reasonable enough for him to serve as a rental.”
Vikings Trade Pitch Passes on Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones for $100 Million QB