While Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson remain in limbo during free agency, one of the biggest winners of the offseason has already secured his future. Sam Darnold, once an NFL journeyman, cashed in on his career resurgence with the Vikings, landing a three-year, $100 million deal with the Seahawks.
Advertisement
The Vikings made a strong push to re-sign Darnold, and he was eager to stay in Minnesota. However, contract negotiations fell short, leading him to make a smart business decision and take his talents to Seattle. During the latest episode of The Insiders, Sam spoke about the move, detailing what led to the decision to change teams again in his career.
The USC Alum noted that it was incredibly tough for him to say farewell to a special place and locker room like Minnesota but he had to do “what’s best for me.”
“I mean it was incredibly tough. I wanted to make it work and do everything I could to stay there. But at the end of the day, this is a business. They go to do what’s best for them and I got to do what’s best for me.”
He expressed gratitude for everyone who supported and rallied around him and for the experiences and memories he got along the way on a shared journey and a common goal. Even in defeat, though, Darnold found valuable lessons in his final two games with the Vikings—Week 18 against the Lions, which determined the No. 1 seed, and the wild-card loss to the Rams.
Sam Darnold’s lessons from his poor performances
Statistically, Darnold had a strong season, finishing with 4,319 passing yards, a 66.2% completion rate, 35 touchdowns, and 12 turnovers. However, his final two games fell well below his standard.
Against the Lions in Week 18, he struggled, throwing for just 166 yards while completing 18 of 41 passes (43.9%). Although he avoided turnovers, he failed to throw a touchdown, posted a 55.5 passer rating, and took two sacks.
In the wild-card round, the Vikings fell 27-9 to the Rams, and Darnold’s performance was again subpar. He completed 25 of 40 passes for 245 yards with one touchdown but also committed two turnovers. The biggest issue? Sacks. The Rams’ young defense overwhelmed Minnesota’s offensive line, bringing Darnold down nine times.
The USC alum believes the biggest takeaway was the importance of getting the ball out quickly. He admitted to holding onto it too long, leading to sacks and negative plays. While opposing defenses elevated their game, it was his responsibility to give his receivers opportunities to make plays. Those losses served as learning experiences, and he’s confident they’ll help him grow moving forward.
“I think the biggest thing was just getting the ball out. I felt like I took too many sacks in those games. First of all, it was really good coverage down the field and a really good pass rush.”
While those two games highlighted areas for improvement, they also reinforced Darnold’s determination to grow as a quarterback. However, they had another consequence—his market value took a hit.
Before Week 18, teams viewed him as a $45 million-per-year quarterback. But after those two rough outings, his valuation dropped to the $35–$40 million range.
Still, it’s great to see him earn a lucrative contract and the recognition he worked for. The real question now is whether he can maintain that level of play in Seattle, where he’ll be surrounded by less talent than he had in Minnesota. As long as he doesn’t see any more ghosts on the field, he will flourish in the Rain City.
