Sam Darnold revived his career as an NFL starter with the Minnesota Vikings last season. His effort in purple has given him options before free agency opens on Wednesday.
After shipping Geno Smith to Las Vegas, Seattle seems to be a logical landing spot for the former No. 3 overall draft pick. Still, The Athletic's Dianna Russini said Sunday on X that another quarterback-needy team could be in play.
"The Steelers are expected to make an offer to pending free agent Sam Darnold, per source," Russini wrote. "Many around the league believe Darnold will wind up in Seattle, but Pittsburgh is doing its due diligence on any potential options ahead of the new league year."
Darnold guided the Vikings to a 14-3 record last season, but he wilted down the stretch, losing in Week 18 at Detroit and in a Wild Card playoff to the Los Angeles Rams.
"Even as the Vikings remain committed to J.J. McCarthy as their franchise quarterback of the future, Minnesota would love to find a way to bring Darnold back," ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote Thursday. "The problem is he will likely find better deals on the open market because the Vikings are already paying Justin Jefferson $35 million per year and plan on pivoting to McCarthy as soon as he's ready.
"The 27-year-old Darnold is coming off a career-best season, throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns. If he doesn't have a market, no one will."
Justin Fields remains another option for the Steelers, but the two were said to be far apart in contract talks.
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This story was originally published March 9, 2025 at 3:35 PM.