Exploring Sam Darnold’s Challenging Season with the Vikings

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00:00There are many questions to be answered for the Minnesota Vikings.

00:03A successful season beyond even the wildest expectations entering this year.

00:09A preseason win total of seven and a half.

00:11The Vikings nearly doubled that with 14.

00:14But despite a 14 and three regular season record,

00:19their final two losses in the regular season finale against Detroit.

00:23And of course, here to begin the postseason against Los Angeles will be

00:28what is remembered.

00:29And perhaps the individual's performance as well in Sam Darnold.

00:35Scott last night sacked nine times by the Rams.

00:3825 of 40 for 245.

00:41A touchdown but with an interception and a fumble that was recovered by LA's Jared Burse.

00:48And taken back the other way for a defensive touchdown.

00:52Scott, Sam Darnold was not supposed to be the starter

00:54all year long this year in Minneapolis.

00:57More than likely that was going to be the 10th overall pick, J.J. McCarthy.

01:01Sam Darnold was acquired this offseason after a solid year as the backup in San Francisco.

01:07Maybe to be that bridge quarterback to give J.J. a few weeks to learn on the fly.

01:13And then lend things over to the rookie.

01:16That's not what happened after J.J. McCarthy was injured early in the preseason.

01:22It became Sam Darnold's show and one that he starred in for about 17 weeks.

01:28But he will be remembered by the final two performances.

01:32Scott, what do you think Sam Darnold's future is in Minnesota and perhaps around the NFL?

01:38Yeah, a couple things, Ben.

01:39You know, here's a question I don't think anyone's really asked.

01:42And I'll throw it out there.

01:44Let's just say J.J. McCarthy didn't get hurt.

01:47And he just wasn't ready to be the starter starting of the year.

01:50Would he have come in at anywhere in this line knowing that,

01:54OK, we want J.J. to be our starter?

01:56But I think Sam Darnold played so well that even if McCarthy didn't get hurt,

02:00we'd probably be in the same spot.

02:02The only thing is, McCarthy really hasn't been able to practice.

02:05Let's look at it from two different ways.

02:07Let's look at it from the negative way and the positive way.

02:10The negative way with Sam Darnold, you went 14-3.

02:15But you bomb out the last two games, you're one and done.

02:17But that's the negative.

02:18How about the positive?

02:20Because that's me, Ben.

02:21I'm Mr. Positive, as everyone knows around the office.

02:24Maybe the Vikings lost the battle, but they won the war.

02:28Because the war would have been bringing Sam Darnold back, signing him to maybe a franchise,

02:36but maybe signing him to a four-year deal.

02:38You make the commitment to him.

02:40Maybe you trade McCarthy because you're going to get a bunch of offers.

02:43And then next year, you find out this is the Sam Darnold that we've seen the last two games.

02:49You lose the battle, you lost the game, but maybe you won the war in that I think Minnesota

02:54is going to move on from him and go with McCarthy because of what we've seen these last two games.

03:00I know it's tough for Viking fans to accept right now, but I don't think he's coming back.

03:07I think he probably cost himself, honestly, probably a half a year, Ben, of guaranteed

03:14money.

03:14Someone's still going to sign him.

03:16There's going to be some team out there that still thinks Sam Darnold is the greatest thing

03:19in the world, but he's got to, I think, get a Danny Nichols contract, as I like to call

03:23him.

03:24Four-year deal, maybe two years guaranteed, where maybe he would have gotten a two and

03:29a half, three-year guarantee.

03:31I think that's down to maybe one and a half to two after what we've seen these last two

03:36weeks.

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