You could argue that Sam Darnold cost himself a lot of money in his last two games, but one Minnesota Vikings legend says Darnold has done enough to remain the team’s quarterback.
In his first 16 games, the third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft rewrote his history, throwing for 4,153 yards and 35 touchdowns while completing 68.1% of his passes. All of those numbers were, by far, career highs.
But in his last two games, one in which he could have clinched the first seed and the other in a playoff game, he threw just one touchdown pass and 411 yards and led his offense to just 18 points.
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold runs off the field after a game against the Tennessee Titans on Nov. 17, 2024, in Nashville. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Darnold in those last two games looked like what he was known for before coming to Minnesota, and now there are calls for the team to move on to JJ McCarthy, the quarterback they selected with the 10th pick last year.
But former Vikings running back Chuck Foreman believes Darnold did enough to remain a starter.
“The guy comes into the league, gets drafted by a team that has no talent, they label him. He goes to another team with no talent, they label him more. Then he goes to San Francisco, a winning team to back up the coach who shows him the way… and then he comes here with Kevin and takes it to another level,” Foreman told Outkick’s “The Ricky Cobb Show.”
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold throws a pass against the Indianapolis Colts during the first quarter at US Bank Stadium. (Jeffrey Becker/Image Images)
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Foreman blamed the two losses on Minnesota’s offensive line rather than Darnold, who he said was helpless against the Lions and Rams.
“The pressure he was under, I only see one or two other quarterbacks who could have some kind of escape with that, and that’s Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen,” Foreman added.
“I’m going to hire him, I hope they can both come together in the middle. I understand the money part, but I hope Sam understands that his career has been revived right here. And he has fans here. Make adjustments next season, but I think he It should be the one.”
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, center right, hug after a game on Oct. 24, 2024, in Inglewood, California. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Darnold is a free agent after the season and is a candidate for the franchise tag. His previous highs in yards and touchdowns were 3,024 and 19, respectively, in 2019 with the team that drafted him, the New York Jets.
