If Minnesota makes the wrong choice on Darnold's future, it could haunt the franchise for a generation. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has a few options. He can tag Darnold, let him walk, or re-sign him to a long-term contract in the Baker Mayfield vein.

Since the Minnesota Vikings season ended with a 27-9 wild-card round loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the media frenzy surrounding Sam Darnold and his impending free agency has cooled off. With so many eyeballs elsewhere to focus on other playoff games, the conversation has moved on.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Vikings have not yet made a firm determination about what to do with QB Sam Darnold, though the chances of him being back in 2025 are higher than they were six months ago.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold spoke about his future during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games. He admitted that he had given some thought to it.He did not get into any specifics, though.Part of that could be the uncertainty around his value at this time.