Darnold and the Seahawks reached an agreement Monday on a three-year contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Schefter reports it as a three-year, $100.5 million deal, including $55 million guaranteed. Darnold will take over as the starting quarterback for a new-look Seattle offense that's trading QB Geno Smith (to the Raiders) and WR DK Metcalf (to the Steelers) in exchange for draft picks. The team also has a new offensive coordinator, with Klint Kubiak replacing Ryan Grubbs, but there's still a lot of work to be done, namely upgrading a lousy offensive line and finding another receiving threat alongside Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Target for Seattle?
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Darnold is a logical free-agent target for Seattle after the Seahawks traded Geno Smith to Las Vegas on Friday, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.
The Seahawks are is now in need of a new starting quarterback after moving Smith to the Raiders on Friday for a 2025 third-round draft pick. Condotta calls Darnold an "obvious target" for Seattle following the move but notes that the organization could also pursue other free-agent options. Darnold didn't have the franchise tag applied by Minnesota following his career-best 2024 campaign and is slated to be an unrestricted free agent upon the start of the new league year Wednesday
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Not being franchise tagged
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The Vikings will not franchise tag Darnold by Tuesday's deadline, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Darnold will officially be allowed to test free agency, which kicks off at the start of the new league year March 12, though Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports that both sides remain mutually interested about potentially re-upping on a short-term deal. After a career-best 2024 campaign, however, in which he threw for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, Darnold's demand on the open market could exceed Minnesota's best offers, especially with 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy (knee) waiting for a chance to vault into the starting role after having missed his rookie year due to injury. Darnold has reportedly drawn interest from teams including the Giants and Raiders, and with Matthew Stafford having re-signed with the Rams, he figures to be viewed as an increasingly intriguing option for QB-needy clubs.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Unlikely to get franchise tag
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The Vikings aren't expected to place a franchise tag on Darnold, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Darnold broke through with a career-best season in 2024, registering a 35:12 TD:INT while throwing for 4,319 yards and completing 66.2 percent of his pass attempts over 17 regular-season games. However, he struggled in a Week 18 loss to the Lions that cost Minnesota a first-round playoff bye, throwing for just 166 yards, then had a subpar performance in the team's NFC wild-card loss to the Rams, throwing for 245 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Darnold joined the Vikings on a one-year contract last March, so he's slated to be a free agent and has drawn interest from the Giants and the Raiders, among other teams. However, Schefter notes that Minnesota remains interested in re-signing Darnold.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Wanted in New York and Vegas
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The Giants and Raiders are believed to have the most interest in Darnold, but the Titans and Steelers may also vie for his services, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic.
The Vikings have until Tuesday to place a franchise/transition tag on Darnold. They reportedly want him back, depending on the price, which means they may also consider a tag-and-trade if they sense the market for his services is especially strong. It sounds like the scenario in which he actually ends up playing for the Vikings in 2025 is one where he hits the open market but is disappointed by the available offers and returns to Minnesota as one of the lesser-paid starting QBs in the league. Darnold likely would have to compete with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy (knee) in Minnesota, whereas the Raiders or Giants might consider offering assurances about starting in 2025.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Dismal numbers in blowout loss
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Darnold completed just 18 of 41 pass attempts for 166 yards with no touchdowns or turnovers while rushing for 10 yards on three carries in Sunday's 31-9 loss to Detroit.
Darnold picked the worst time to revert to his New York Jets form in Sunday's battle between juggernauts for both the NFC North crown and the No. 1 seed in the conference. His offensive line did him no favors while star wideout Justin Jefferson committed multiple drops, so the quarterback's horrid stat line can't be entirely placed on his shoulders. It is worth noting that Darnold had his ankle rolled up on by a teammate late in the contest, but he did not miss any game action after getting up gingerly. Minnesota's signal-caller will have to rally quickly to get his offense back to previous levels as the No. 5 seed Vikings prepare to visit the Rams in the wild-card round of the playoffs next Monday.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: QBs to Start
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Darnold has the chance to lead the Vikings to the NFC North title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a win at Detroit. He's playing great coming into Week 18 with at least 23.6 Fantasy points in six of his past seven games. And while he only scored 18.3 Fantasy points against the Lions in Week 7, this Detroit defense is banged up and should struggle to stop Minnesota's passing game. Three quarterbacks in a row have scored at least 26.8 Fantasy points against the Lions, and Darnold should have a big performance in Week 18.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: QBs to Start
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Darnold went into Seattle in Week 16 and passed for 246 yards and three touchdowns and scored 28.9 Fantasy points. He's now scored at least 23.6 Fantasy points in five of his past six games, and I'm expecting him to have another solid outing in this NFC North showdown with the Packers in Week 17. He scored 26.5 Fantasy points at Green Bay in Week 4, and he should be considered a No. 1 Fantasy quarterback again in the rematch.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: QBs to Start
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Darnold only scored 13.2 Fantasy points in Week 15 against Chicago, but Justin Jefferson dropped an easy touchdown that would have boosted both their stats. Prior to Week 15, Darnold had scored at least 23.6 Fantasy points in four games in a row, and he should get back on track in Week 16 at Seattle. Five quarterbacks in the past seven games against the Seahawks have scored at least 20.4 Fantasy points, and Darnold remains a solid No. 1 quarterback in all leagues.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: QBs to Start
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Darnold continues to prove himself as a solid Fantasy quarterback on a weekly basis, and he scored at least 23.6 Fantasy points in three games in a row. I like him as a top-five Fantasy quarterback in this matchup with the Falcons, who are No. 8 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. Five of the past six quarterbacks against Atlanta have scored at least 21.8 Fantasy points, and Darnold should have the chance for another quality stat line in Week 14.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Top DFS Play
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Darnold has six passing touchdowns and zero interceptions in his last three games against the Cardinals, Bears, and Titans. This week, he's at home against a Falcons defense that allows more Fantasy points to opposing defenses than each of Darnold's past three matchups. This is my favorite game on the slate to stack.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Leads big comeback Sunday
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Darnold completed 21 of 31 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 23-22 win over the Cardinals. He added 22 rushing yards on four carries.
The Vikings were in a 19-6 hole late in the third quarter as Darnold struggled to find time in the pocket, but the QB led an impressive late comeback, hitting Johnny Mundt for a four-yard score just before the end of the third and then connecting with Aaron Jones on a five-yard TD with only 1:13 left in the fourth. It's the fifth time in the last six games that Darnold has tossed multiple TDs, a stretch in which he's posted an 11:5 TD:INT. He'll look to keep rolling, and keep the Vikings on track for the playoffs, in Week 14 against the Falcons.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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It's hard to bench Darnold, given what he's done lately, but this is a tough matchup against the Cardinals. Darnold has scored at least 22.2 Fantasy points in four of his past five games, and he's been exceptional the past two weeks against the Titans and Bears with a combined 52.7 points. But Arizona has also been exceptional against opposing quarterbacks of late, as Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa, Caleb Williams, Aaron Rodgers, and Geno Smith have all scored 16.7 Fantasy points or less in five games in a row. Josh Allen, Jayden Daniels, and Jordan Love are the only quarterbacks with more than 20 Fantasy points against the Cardinals this season, including matchups with Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff, and Brock Purdy. I would only start Darnold in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues in Week 13.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Picks apart Bears with deep balls
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Darnold completed 22 of 34 passes for 330 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions in Sunday's 30-27 overtime win against the Bears.
Darnold crushed the Bears with deep pass attempts, as he tallied three completions of at least 40 yards and seven of at least 20. That led to his first 300-yard passing game of the season, though he was aided by overtime to get there. Darnold also tacked on passing scores from two and five yards away, marking his fourth multi-touchdown effort in six games since Minnesota's bye. After a brief shaky stretch, Darnold has returned to form as a solid fantasy contributor.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Looks healthy with three TDs
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Darnold (right hand) completed 20 of 32 pass attempts for 246 yards and two touchdowns while adding 18 rushing yards and a third score (one fumble) off of eight carries in Sunday's 23-13 win over Tennessee.
Darnold was dealing with a minor injury to his throwing hand coming out of his worst performance of the season against the Jaguars last week. The veteran signal-caller bounced back fully from the three-pick outing with three touchdowns in Minnesota's eighth win of the year. Now healthy, Darnold makes for a fine fantasy play against the flailing Bears next Sunday.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Full practice Thursday
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Darnold (right hand) practiced fully Thursday.
One day removed from being limited due to an injury to his throwing hand Wednesday, Darnold was able to handle every practice rep, paving the way for him to continue to direct the Vikings offense. On Sunday, he'll be taking on a Titans defense that has given up the second-fewest yards per attempt (6.21) to opposing quarterbacks on the campaign.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: QBs to Start
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Darnold had a disastrous game in Week 10 at Jacksonville with just 6.4 Fantasy points, which snapped a two-game streak where he scored at least 22.2 points. He had 241 passing yards and three interceptions against the Jaguars, and it's just the second time this season he failed to throw a touchdown. He'll rebound this week against the Titans, and three of the past four quarterbacks against Tennessee have scored at least 21.7 Fantasy points. I'll go back to Darnold as a No. 1 quarterback in all leagues.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Disastrous effort in win
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Darnold completed 24 of 38 passes for 241 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions in Sunday's 12-7 win over the Jaguars.
Darnold turned in his worst performance of the season by any measure, highlighted by three interceptions -- all of which came when he targeted Justin Jefferson. After throwing only five picks across his first seven starts of the campaign, Darnold now has five in his last two contests. The Vikings won both games despite his efforts, so Darnold should have a comfortable hold on the starting job, though he'll need a better showing in Week 11 against the Titans for fantasy managers to continue to have faith in his ability to deliver production.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: QBs to Start
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Darnold comes into Week 10 having scored at least 22.2 Fantasy points in each of his past two games, and he should stay hot against the Jaguars in this matchup. Jacksonville is No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and six of the past seven quarterbacks against the Jaguars have scored at least 24.8 Fantasy points. Darnold has top-five upside in Week 10.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold: Throws three TDs on SNF
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Darnold completed 28 of 34 pass attempts for 290 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing four times for 14 yards and surrendering a fumble in Sunday's 21-13 win over the Colts.
Darnold completed his third game with at least three touchdowns this season. It came at the cost of three turnovers (two picks, one fumble), but the overall results were positive from a fantasy perspective. Darnold is now up to 1,900 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions through eight starts with Minnesota this season. The 2018 first-round pick continues to surpass expectations in his new digs as the Vikings prepare to take on the Jaguars next Sunday.
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