After losing Kirk Cousins to the Falcons, the Vikings quickly pivoted to add a different veteran quarterback.
Minnesota has agreed to sign Sam Darnold to a one-year, $10 million deal, according to a report from NFL Media.
The No. 3 overall pick of the 2018 draft, Darnold spent the 2023 season as a backup quarterback in San Francisco. He appeared in 10 games but started just one — the 49ers' Week 18 game against the Rams after SF locked up the No. 1 seed in the NFC. He completed 16 of 26 passes for 189 yards with a touchdown in that game, and also rushed for 19 yards with a TD.
Darnold, 26, played his first three seasons with the Jets before being traded to the Panthers during the 2021 offseason. He was 4-7 as a starter in 2021 but 4-2 with Carolina in 2022.
Overall, Darnold compiled a 21-35 record as a starter. He has completed 59.7 percent of his career passes for 12,064 yards with 63 touchdowns and 56 interceptions. He also fumbled 38 times, losing 14 of them.
Now Darnold should at least get a chance to start for Minnesota in 2024 with an offensive scheme derived from the same coaching tree. Darnold's former Jets teammate Josh McCown is also now Minnesota's quarterbacks coach for an extra layer of familiarity.
