The Minnesota Vikings have finally seemed to figure out who their starting quarterback will be next season, and should Kyler Murray perform well, perhaps the seasons after. Good for them, but it wasn't good for them watching Sam Darnold lead the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl win.
Darnold, of course, spent the 2024 NFL season with the Vikings. That lone season was good for 14 wins and a playoff appearance that, unfortunately, ended in an early exit. Despite that loss, Darnold showed that season more than he had in all six seasons before: he's actually pretty good.
Yet, the Vikings chose J.J. McCarthy over Darnold the following year, opening the door for the Seahawks to scoop him up. Before you knew it, while McCarthy was struggling and injured for the Vikings, Darnold was leading the Seahawks to another 14 wins. The Vikings took a ton of criticism for letting Darnold go, but he recently admitted he understood the move, even if everyone else didn't.
Seattle Seahawks' Sam Darnold understood why the Minnesota Vikings chose J.J. McCarthy over him
Darnold's first year with the Seahawks saw him throw for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns, but also 14 interceptions and 20 total turnovers. It wasn't his best year statistically speaking, but it was good enough to get the Seahawks to the championship and win it all.
As far as winning is concerned, it was Darnold's best season of his career. That said, statistically speaking again, his one season in Minnesota produced better numbers than last season in Seattle: 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and 16 total turnovers. Not to mention his quarterback rating (102.5) was also much higher than last year's (99.1).
At the end of the day, however, the Vikings had McCarthy waiting for his turn, and it was to come the next year, so the Vikings decided to let Darnold go. The Vikings were high enough on McCarthy that they were willing to take the risk and hand over the keys. Today, looking back, it doesn't make much sense. Then again, there is the argument that the Vikings had no choice but to give McCarthy a shot.
While many questioned the decision, and still question it today, Darnold understood where his former team was coming from, speaking on the San Clemente Podcast earlier this week.
“I totally understand the move to go with a younger quarterback on a rookie deal and signing these veterans that you can pay a little bit more because he’s on a rookie deal, especially if you believe in him,” Darnold said. “I think J.J. is a good player, I think he’s gonna be a really good player in this league. I truly believe that.”
It still had to be tough for Darnold to have his truly first great year in the NFL, worthy of the first-round draft pick that the New York Jets paid for him, only to get told he's out the door. The best thing that could have happened in the present, though, was the Seahawks trusting that they could get another year like that out of Darnold, and trust they did.
That trust was without question the right move for the Seahawks, and it has been repaid, because look at them now. Look at Darnold now. Five years, no, even three years ago, he was a bust. He has a ring, and the Seahawks are trusting him as their franchise quarterback going forward.
Add us as a preferred source on Google