Sam Darnold free agency: Adam Schefter names team to watch QB

Sam Darnold‘s contract with the Minnesota Vikings is up and NFL fans are wondering where the Pro Bowl QB will be suiting up next season. On Sunday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided insight about Darnold’s future.

“The Vikings have said that they’d like to bring him back, but that is not going to be cheap. The franchise tag remains an option,” Schefter said. “What team that I would watch with Sam Darnold moving forward would be the Las Vegas Raiders. I think, at some point in time, they’re likely to have some interest in trying to bring Sam Darnold to Las Vegas. We’ll see if they could make that happen.”

Darnold played on a one-year $10 million contract this season. If the Vikings opted to use their franchise tag on Darnold, they would be committing to pay him exponentially more next season.

When a team uses their franchise tag on a player, they’re guaranteed to have the player for another season. However, they are also required to pay the player the average of the top five highest-paid players at the position for the season.

In Darnold’s case, the Vikings would have no choice but to pay the 27-year-old QB around $55 million. Obviously, it’s not a decision to take lightly.

Nonetheless, Darnold gave the Vikings reason to be excited in the 2024-25 campaign. The former USC standout tallied 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdowns this season while only throwing 12 interceptions.

Propelled forward by Darnold’s excellent play, the Vikings finished the regular season with a 14-3 record — the organization’s best since 1998. Alas, the Vikings weren’t able to capitalize on their historic season in the NFL Playoffs, falling to the Los Angeles Rams 27-9.

In the loss, Darnold completed 25-of-his-40 pass attempts for a touchdown and an interception. It’s worth noting that Darnold faced immense pressure all game, suffering nine total sacks.

Schefter believes that the Raiders would be interested in acquiring Sam Darnold if given the chance. The Raiders are entering a new era after hiring veteran NFL head coach Pete Caroll in January.

While Carroll and Darnold don’t have any direct history, they have a connection through USC, where Caroll coached from 2001-09 and Darnold played from 2015-17.

If the Vikings don’t use their franchise tag on Darnold this offseason, Carroll may want Darnold to lead his offense in his debut campaign at the helm of the Raiders. Either way, Darnold will be a free agent if the Vikings do not retain him this offseason.