OPINION
Over the past few weeks, the Minnesota Vikings have found themselves in an odd situation. Their franchise quarterback hopeful, No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy, has been ruled out for his entire rookie season. While it’s unclear if McCarthy was ever going to start for the team in their first game next weekend, his sudden injury has forced the team to settle for Sam Darnold, a quarterback whose career has been generally disappointing thus far.
Who is Sam Darnold?
When Darnold was drafted by the New York Jets with the No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL draft, the hype was real. He was a top-tier talent expected to pull the Jets out of their seemingly eternal struggle to find a franchise quarterback. But today, six seasons later, Darnold has long been an obscure and largely forgotten player.
That dramatic career shift happened rather quickly. Just a few months after being drafted by the Jets, Darnold was thrown into the starting lineup of a decaying team. Upon a barrage of other issues, the Jets entered the 2018 season with the third worst offensive line in the league, the fifth worst receiving group in the league and the 29th ranked running game in yards per carry.
In short, Darnold had inherited a nightmarish starting quarterback role. Despite that, his performance on the field in 2018 wasn’t disastrous. He threw more touchdown passes than interceptions on the year and ended the season with a three-game stretch in which he threw for 761 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.
Darnold’s rookie season wasn’t particularly impressive, but it hinted at a quarterback who, with the right supporting cast, could find success at the NFL level.
Where did it all go wrong?
After Darnold’s average rookie season, the Jets fired head coach Todd Bowles, which meant that Darnold would have to learn how to navigate an entirely new playbook, scheme and coaching staff.
In free agency, the Jets struggled to provide Darnold with much help on the offensive side of the ball. And, instead of splurging on their offensive line, the Jets believed that with the return of key linemen that suffered injuries in 2018, the line would finally come together and take a huge step forward in 2019.
Contrary to their hopes, the Jets’ offensive line remained abysmal in 2019. They were also ranked by Pro Football Focus, a sports analytics company, as the fifth worst overall offensive line, putting Darnold through the wringer once again.
Despite this, Darnold improved in nearly every passing statistic in 2019, throwing for more yards, more touchdowns and less interceptions, alongside a passer rating that jumped from 77.6 in 2018 to 84.3 in 2019. Darnold was improving, and the Jets went 7-6 under the quarterback that season.
The next year, things took a dark turn. The Jets’ roster hadn’t improved much, as general manager Joe Douglas had taken a cost-saving approach after a series of big money deals that turned sour. They did find some talent in the draft through first round pick offensive lineman Mekhi Becton, but their receiving core remained unimpressive.
As a result, Darnold struggled early in the season, and the Jets got off to a 0-4 start. Then, Darnold suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him for four games. Upon his return in late October, the struggles continued. Darnold finished the season with a career low 52.1 passer rating, and the Jets finished 2-14 on the year.
As a result of the poor season, the Jets cleaned house, trading Darnold to the Carolina Panthers and firing head coach Adam Gase.
Darnold’s confusing stint with the Panthers
The Panthers had the seventh worst-ranked roster in the league entering 2021, just above the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had gone 1-15 the year prior, spelling yet another poor starting role for Darnold. Darnold struggled as a result and was benched in October after putting up well below average numbers across the board.
In 2022, the Panthers added some talent, but Darnold lost the starting job to Baker Mayfield in training camp. After an abysmal start by Mayfield, he was benched and Extreme Football League stand out P.J. Walker took over. After Walker also struggled to find success, he too was benched, and the Panthers ended up looking back towards Darnold. Darnold took over the starting role for the final six Panthers games in 2022 and put up a career high 92.6 passer rating over that final stretch, leading the Panthers to a 4-2 record to end off the season.
Despite the sudden success, the Panthers looked towards the draft for a franchise quarterback and let Darnold walk in free agency.
Darnold’s short-lived stint with the 49’ers
Darnold’s successful stint at the end of the 2022 season secured him the backup quarterback job in San Francisco, where he signed a one-year contract.
Not much can be analyzed about Darnold’s time in San Francisco, but one conclusion can be made. With a year to develop and learn from the league’s best, Darnold could find the consistency he’s been lacking.
How will Darnold perform in Minnesota?
It’s clear that Darnold can find success. We saw flashes of it in New York, and we saw some sustained success at the end of his time in Carolina. One thing we’ve seen very little of is Darnold with a great supporting cast.
The Vikings have a brilliant receiving group. For starters, wide receiver Justin Jefferson is often ranked among the top three receivers in the NFL. Similarly, tight end T.J. Hockenson is often ranked among the top five pass-catching tight ends in the NFL. Last year, wide receiver Jordan Addison showed promise as a rookie, hauling in over 900 receiving yards. The Vikings also have the 13th-best offensive line in the league heading into the 2024 season.
Simply put, Darnold finally has talent around him. As a result, don’t be surprised if Darnold impresses this season. He’s no Jordan Love, Jared Goff or Caleb Williams, but if he can work well within the Vikings’ offense as a consistent game manager with flashes of stardom, this Vikings team could finish the season in the top half of the National Football Conference standings and sneak into the NFL playoffs.
