Sam Darnold Rumors: 'Slight Majority' of NFL Execs Believe QB Will Return to Vikings

Having significantly increased his value across the NFL this season, Sam Darnold's future with the Minnesota Vikings will be one of the key questions going into the offseason.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, a "slight majority" of league executives who were polled believe the Vikings will keep Darnold either by using the franchise tag or signing him to a long-term contract.

The franchise tag would seem to be the most-likely scenario for Darnold and the Vikings. It's currently estimated the tag value for quarterbacks in 2025 will be $41.3 million. The team is projected to have $76.5 million in cap space available.

Even though Darnold would certainly prefer the security of a long-term contract, the estimated $41.3 million salary on the tag would be more than four times what he is making in Minnesota this season ($10 million).

J.J. McCarthy's presence on the Vikings' roster complicates matters. The No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft hasn't played this season due to a torn meniscus suffered in the preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 10.

Getting on the rookie quarterback timeline seemed like a priority for the Vikings after moving on from Kirk Cousins at the end of last season. They've used a lot of cap flexibility already to hand out lucrative extensions to Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, Christian Darrisaw, Brian O'Neill and sign Jonathan Greenard as a free agent.

A one-year tender for Darnold would allow the Vikings to maintain their long-term flexibility, but it would likely mean that McCarthy spends his first two seasons in the NFL on the bench.

Another possibility for the Vikings would be trading McCarthy, who might have significant value on the market because of his age and the 2025 quarterback draft class not looking strong paper.

ESPN's Adam Schefter recently said there is an expectation that teams will at least call the Vikings to gauge their interest in dealing McCarthy.

Minnesota's success this season with Darnold makes it hard to envision a scenario where the team just lets him walk as a free agent.

The Vikings could tie the franchise record with 15 regular-season wins with a victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 18. A victory would also give them the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs.

Darnold has set career-highs in virtually every category this season, including passing yards (4,153), passing touchdowns (35) and completion percentage (68.1).