NFL rumors: Vikings open to Sam Darnold returning, but there’s a catch

The Minnesota Vikings would not mind having quarterback Sam Darnold return for another season. However, they would attach a condition to that scenario.

NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler went on ESPN’s SportsCenter show regarding news happening in the league on Friday. One of the topics he went over involved the Vikings, believing the team would be receptive to keeping Darnold for next season but with a catch.

“I’m told the Minnesota Vikings are open to doing a deal with Sam Darnold. People I’ve talked to around the league believe that the franchise tag is not the likeliest path in Minnesota…that’s a high number of around $40 million,” Fowler said.

“So Minnesota’s stance seems to be that they’re not gonna mortgage the future for Sam Darnold if he’s getting major bank with another team somewhere else, they probably won’t mortgage their future in that regard, but they’re certainly open to having him back. They loved having him.”

Inserted into the role after JJ McCarthy’s season-ending injury, Darnold more than took advantage of the opportunity. He threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, coming into his own as one of the better players at his position en route to earning a Pro Bowl selection.

This helped the Vikings to have a strong regular season, finishing with a 14-3 record and the AFC North title. However, that would be as far as they go, falling 27-9 to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card.

Even though the ending wasn’t ideal for Darnold, he demonstrates himself as a solid quarterback that can help any NFL team immediately as a free agent. Whether it is with the Vikings remains to be seen.