Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell makes feelings clear about Sam Darnold’s free agency position

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell shared his thoughts about Sam Darnold's pending free agency after reviving his career with his best season. The former New York Jets and Carolina Panthers quarterback took over when rookie QB J.J. McCarthy sustained a season-ending injury.

Darnold immediately impacted the squad, helping them win 14 games, although that high number wasn't enough to win the NFC North division. His performances drew a lot of attention, and many think his future will be away from Minnesota.

Kevin O'Connell (via Rob Maaddi on X/Twitter) revealed his thoughts on Sam Darnold's future plans and what he thinks is next for the veteran.

“Sam is in position where the NFL thinks he can play quarterback at a high level," O'Connell said.

O'Connell added that he had "great dialogue" with the player. The Vikings could run it back with Sam Darnold, but other teams could try to lure him away. Additionally, with McCarthy returning from injury, it could be a chaotic scenario for Kevin O'Connell.

Sam Darnold posted the best season of his rocky NFL career, completing 361 passes out of 545 attempts (66.2%), racking up 4,319 passing yards and 35 passing touchdowns while being intercepted 12 times.

He led the Vikings to second place in the NFC North but couldn't do much against the LA Rams in the 2024 wild card round. Sean McVay's team dominated Minnesota 27-9 to advance to the next round.

NFL insider says Vikings still consider J.J. McCarthy franchise QB over Sam Darnold

NFL insider Jeremy Fowler appeared on ESPN's Sportscenter on Friday to report what the Vikings are pondering regarding J.J. McCarthy and Darnold's future. Fowler said Minnesota was "weighing the option" to bring back Darnold on a new deal rather than the franchise tag.

However, Fowler said McCarthy is still the guy for the future, per On3:

“But all options are on the table for Minnesota, but what was clear to me is that J.J. McCarthy will be the franchise quarterback. They have no plans to trade them, it just depends on whether that’s six months from now, 12 months, 18 months, and watch for Daniel Jones.

"He was on the roster last year. He can be a cheaper alternative to Sam Darnold. (There) could be some interest there to bring him back.”

The Minnesota Vikings have a good problem in the quarterback room, but they have a decision to make that wouldn't sit well with everybody.