Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
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(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
It’s been over a year since theMinnesota Vikings decided not to aggressively attempt to keep former quarterback Sam Darnold. Minnesota opted to give the starting QB job to J.J. McCarthy, and Darnold would sign with theSeattle Seahawks.
Hindsight is always 20/20, especially after Darnold went on to replicate the regular-season success that he had with the Vikings in Seattle. However, unlike in Minnesota, where the 14-win team fell short of a deep playoff run during the 2024 season, Darnold won the Super Bowl with the Seahawks last campaign.
On the June 23 edition of “Bussin’ With The Boys,” Darnold was candid about his tenure in Minnesota and the Vikings’ decision not to make a serious attempt at keeping him after a 14-win season.
“I think for me Minnesota was amazing,” Darnold said. “For me, having success in a place and getting to know the guys in the locker room, of course you want to make that work. But shortly into negotiations, it was like, ‘All right, this isn’t going to be the spot,’ you know what I mean?”
Last season with the Seahawks, Darnold had 559 pass snaps,leading to a 79.3 overall PFF grade. The former Vikings QB threw for 4,048 passing yards and 25 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Moreover, Darnold recorded 29 big-time throws and 19 turnover-worthy plays.
Seahawks’ Sam Darnold Understood Vikings Decision
Nonetheless, Darnold didn’t harbor any grudge toward Minnesota and understood the business side of their decision. Teams want to take advantage of young QBs on their rookie deals, as it allows general managers to pay other players before needing to fork over top dollar to their signal-caller.
“I’m not one of those guys who is spiteful,” Darnold added. “I get where the GM was coming from. I totally do. You see it witha lot of teams. You saw it with San Francisco, and you saw it with Houston for a little bit with C.J. [Stroud].
“These rookie quarterbacks are on rookie deals, and teams try to strike while the iron is hot so they can pay other guys around them and make the team really good. I get that part of it. I also understand drafting a guy in the first round and having a belief that he’s the guy.”
Sam Darnold Believed He Wasn’t Meant to Be in Minnesota
Moreover, Darnold took the Vikings’ front office’s decision as a sign that he wasn’t meant to stay in Minnesota, and, given how his situation worked out in the end, the Seahawks QB was right.
“I’m someone who understands where they’re coming from,” Darnold said. “Going back to the beginning, everything happens for a reason. There’s a part of me that looks at it and says, ‘Okay, I’m just not supposed to be in Minnesota this next year.’
“And that’s okay with me. It allowed me to focus on finding the next spot and getting my mindset to where I needed it to be, thinking about where I was going next.”
The Vikings learned from this lesson and, this offseason, signed Kyler Murray to challenge McCarthy, and all signs point to the formerArizona Cardinals star winning the competition.