Sam Darnold Loose Company Touchdown Spots: 5 Conceivable Group Suits

A top quality NFL beginning quarterback? For many of the yr, Sam Darnold seemed the section—proper up till he didn’t.

Remnants of Darnold’s frigid end are tough to put out of your mind, pooled round him like a moat as a result of the importance of the 2 losses to Minnesota, on account of his ice-cold performances.

After 13 video games with a passer score of 100-plus and 14 wins in his first 16 video games with the Vikings, Darnold crashed within the winner-take-all regular-season finale at Detroit for the NFC North name. He finished 18 of 41 passes (43.9%) and averaged 4.05 yards according to move with a 55.5 passer score. Reasonably than the No. 1 seed within the NFC playoffs, the 14-win Vikings packed for a wild-card highway sport in opposition to NFC West winner Los Angeles (in Arizona). Playoff Sam wasn’t significantly better: 25 of 40 and sacked 9 occasions.

Head trainer Kevin O’Connell proclaimed the Vikings would welcome Darnold again and tried a public-facing protection of Darnold’s nosedive, advising the general public to evaluate the quarterback on his frame of labor within the 2024 season.

Truth is, Darnold misplaced a vital amount of cash in the ones two highlight video games and enters loose company in whole turmoil. Groups will view the frame of labor as something, and his appearing beneath the load of playoff drive as an unforgettable fact.

Can Darnold win video games within the NFL? For sure. Will he win when it issues? Ehhhhhh.

The most productive paths ahead for Darnold are the ones with out the ensure of a No. 1 task. He may just do smartly within the position he was once signed by means of the Vikings to fill: bridge quarterback and mentor for first-round pick out J.J. McCarthy.

Starter cash disappeared in Detroit, and no matter was once left went up in flames in Arizona in opposition to the Rams.

Listed here are 5 groups that would dial up Darnold as a stopgap in 2025.

1. Tennessee Titans

No person expects the Titans to torpedo the AFC South after posting the league’s worst document in 2024. And no person is aware of if Will Levis gets some other likelihood to turn out he can take care of the pains of the placement at this degree. Darnold seemed able to serving to Tennessee with a 3-0 document in opposition to the department remaining season and a win over the Titans in Nashville. He’d be aligned with some other trainer from the Sean McVay training tree—Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco, O’Connell in Minnesota—with Brian Callahan, who helped increase Joe Burrow in Cincinnati.

2. Cleveland Browns

Kevin Stefanski took the Browns to the playoffs with Joe Flacco recent from the sofa in 2023. With a fortified offensive line, Darnold may just hang up smartly till Cleveland has a better choice. However he’s extra of a managed, anticipatory passer who benefited from indoor environs in Minnesota. He doesn’t have the rocket-launcher throwing arm of Flacco or Jameis Winston or the mobility to do a lot out of doors the pocket.

3. Indianapolis Colts

This isn’t a really perfect are compatible, taking into account the Colts designed an offense for a 6-foot-4, 250-pound quarterback who’s a massively higher runner than passer in Anthony Richardson. However GM Chris Ballard promised festival, and the 2025 draft must be about playmakers, move rush and offensive line lend a hand.

4. New York Giants

Brian Daboll could make it paintings with a play-action passer. Darnold on a no-promises contract would a minimum of give the Giants choices getting into the draft.

5. New York Jets

New trainer Aaron Glenn authored the Week 18 sport plan—then as Lions defensive coordinator—that ended in Darnold’s loose company dying. However Darnold just about were given the most efficient of him in a 31-29 loss to the Lions on Oct. 20.