Former NFL Quarterback: Vikings should Patronize resigning…

The future of Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold has been a major topic of conversation recently. Darnold has the Vikings at 9-2 and was in the top ten among quarterbacks in many statistical categories heading into Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, which makes his status as a pending unrestricted free agent an interesting one.

Dating back to rookie QB J.J. McCarthy’s season-ending knee injury during the preseason, the plan has been for Darnold to play as well as possible on this one-year deal, then likely sign elsewhere as the Vikings hand the keys to McCarthy in 2025.

Not everyone thinks that should be the approach. On ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown, former QB Alex Smith said he thinks the Vikings should be looking to sign Darnold long-term.

“I hope they’ve already made him an offer,” Smith said. “If they haven’t, I think they’re making a big mistake. J.J. McCarthy, I know his potential and all that, but that’s exactly what it is, potential. You’ve got a guy right now who has a lot of good football left in him. I’d make every effort to sign this guy long-term.”

The irony there is that Smith himself was once the veteran who was playing well when he was replaced by a younger option. That quarterback was Patrick Mahomes with the Chiefs in 2018. Mahomes, like McCarthy, was the tenth overall pick in his class and didn’t play as a rookie (though not due to injury).

That’s not to say McCarthy will be Mahomes, of course. But the Chiefs demonstrated the upside that comes with moving on from a solid veteran and going with a highly-drafted young QB.

Fellow panelist Rex Ryan, a former head coach, agreed with Smith.

“You’re trying to get a franchise quarterback? You may have one right there with Sam Darnold,” Ryan said. “I think you do. The other guy (McCarthy)? That’s 50-50. … To me, 100 percent you sign him.”

The argument about Darnold being a proven commodity and McCarthy being an unknown is a fair one, but the Vikings are aware of the risks. Also, Darnold’s strong play is setting him up to earn a multi-year deal worth $30-plus million per season. McCarthy is on a rookie contract that could be one of the best values in football if he pans out. The prices matter. A big reason why GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah drafted McCarthy this year was for the roster-building advantage of that rookie deal.

The Vikings believe, based on what he showed this past offseason before getting hurt, that McCarthy is their QB of the future. All of the things that have helped Darnold thrive this season — Kevin O’Connell’s coaching, Justin Jefferson and the other weapons, organizational stability — will theoretically help McCarthy do the same next season.

That’s why it seems highly unlikely Darnold will be back in Minnesota next year, even if analysts like Smith and Ryan think he should be re-signed.