Commited; Vikings Sam Darnold Has Landed ‘Preposterous’ Deal in Free Agency

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold had the NFL by the tail heading into Week 18 of the regular season, and despite a couple poor showings that ended the campaign on a sour note, he hasn’t entirely lost his grip.

The relative weakness of the draft and free agency classes have empowered Darnold as he approaches unrestricted free agency in March at the age of just 27 years old. Projections for Darnold’s next deal range between $100-$160 million in total value across a three- or four-year contract.

Benjamin Solak of ESPN took a deep dive into Darnold’s market on Tuesday, Jan. 28, and pinned it into an annual range of $30-$40 million over the next handful of seasons — but with a caveat.

“While the idea of signing Darnold to a four-year, $140 million deal seems preposterous, I wouldn’t be surprised to see those figures at all,” Solak wrote. “Functionally that ends up playing out more like a two-year, $70 million contract with a couple of team options attached behind it if Darnold plays well.”