The Minnesota Vikings posted 14 wins and a playoff appearance in a year designated for rebuilding. It created a quarterback controversy between pending free agent Sam Darnold and first-round pick JJ McCarthy. General manager Kwesi Odofo-Mensah could have placed the franchise tag on Darnold, keeping him in Minnesota. But the Vikings will not place the franchise tag on Sam Darnold, sending him to free agency.
“The Vikings will officially not be tagging Sam Darnold. But the two parties will continue to work towards a deal that is best for both sides,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday.
Darnold became the unquestioned starter after McCarthy got hurt in training camp. It was his first starting job since a failed Carolina Panthers experiment in 2022. Despite his 14 wins, the final two starts left a bad taste in the Vikings’ front office. With a chance to win the NFC North and the top seed, he was brutal against the Lions. And then a playoff loss to the Rams swung the pendulum toward McCarthy.
The Vikings now have much more cap space to add to their stellar roster in free agency. While their defense and offense both have stars, they need better depth to compete with the Detroit Lions. Adding offensive and defensive lineman should be their top goals with their $63 million in cap space.
Another position of need for the Vikings is safety, as Harrison Smith nears the end of his career. Justin Reid and Justin Simmons are the best options out there and now can come to Minnesota while leaving money for bigger needs. That is the benefit of having a rookie quarterback leading a winning team and could help Minnesota moving forward.
Darnold will have a market in free agency but it likely won’t be the Vikings after this move.
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