Sam Darnold’s offseason outlook will look entirely different after back-to-back brutal performances in high-pressure situations ended the Vikings’ season with a dud, Troy Aikman opined Monday night.
Darnold completed 25-of-40 passes for 245 yards, one touchdown and one interception while taking a playoff record nine sacks in the 27-9 wild-card loss to the Rams.
The former NFL great predicted that the conversation around Darnold would shift entirely after 16 games of redemption were sullied by woeful performances against the Lions in Week 18— with a chance to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC — and Rams.
It comes as Darnold enters free agency after inking a one-year, $10 million deal with Minnesota in the offseason.
“That conversation’s a different conversation today than it was two weeks ago,” Aikman said on the ESPN broadcast of Monday night’s playoff game.
“I know they really like J.J. McCarthy. He’ll be back and he’ll be healthy. What that looks like for Sam … and he’s had a great year. I mean, there’s no denying that. He did a lot of good things for this organization, obviously a big part, the quarterback always is, if you’re going to go and win 14 games. He played at a really high level. It’s just, last week and this week will leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouth going into this offseason.”
There had been been discussion about whether Darnold would get a massive deal from the Vikings this season with the possibility of trading away McCarthy, who missed the season with a torn meniscus after being selected No. 10 in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Darnold, 27, appeared to have finally found the formula that eluded him after the Jets took him with the No. 3 pick in 2018. He struggled in four years with the Jets and for two seasons with the Panthers before a reset season with the 49ers as Brock Purdy’s backup in 2023.
Darnold took advantage of the opportunity when McCarthy suffered the injury in preseason and threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns as the Vikings went 14-3 in the regular season.
However, these last two performances — along with that worrisome track record — will be on the Viking’s mind and any other team thinking of committing to Darnold as a franchise quarterback for potentially nine figures this offseason.
“These last two weeks will have a big impact on his future,” Aikman said. “Not only for the Minnesota Vikings, but a big impact on what that may look like for [Darnold] going to another team.
“Is there going to be the big payout that looked inevitable a few weeks ago, may not look as big as what Sam or others thought. These are the games that matter.”
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