A Sam Darnold Connection Could Make Drake Maye Work with Vikings
Matthew Davis
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Sam Darnold joining the Minnesota Vikings may bring about a different result in the quarterback room than previously imagined.
Darnold’s connection with quarterback coach Josh McCown could set the stage for bringing in and developing former North Carolina standout Drake Maye. When Darnold and McCown played for the New York Jets, they followed Maye’s high school games because McCown’s son, Owen, also played for the Myers Park high school team in Charlotte.
“Him and Same were watching every game,” Myers Park head coach Scott Chadwick said via The Athletic’s Alec Lewis. “Drake was the start. Owen, Josh’s son, was our junior varsity quarterback. They were watching everything and breaking down every one of our games.”
Since McCown and Darnold already know much about Maye, the Vikings would have a running start with Maye if the team trades up to draft him. Maye is likely to land within the first three picks in the NFL Draft, and Vikings have been tied to trade rumors with the New England Patriots, owners of the No. 3 pick, for much of the offseason.
Vikings Rumor Seeds Planted and Still Growing
KTSP’s Darren Wolfson noted in February that the Vikings planted the seed at the Senior Bowl. More recently McCown appeared at the USC pro day on Wednesday, which featured No. 1 pick favorite and former Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams.
Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison, who played with Williams in college, claimed the Vikings offense would become “scary” with the addition of Williams during “The Viking Age” podcast in February. Trading for the No. 1 spot within the NFC North seems unlikely, and the Chicago Bears already traded away quarterback Justin Fields for a sixth round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Washington Commanders, owner the No. 2 pick, could take Maye or former LSU star Jayden Daniels but could also trade the pick. Similarly, the Patriots looked poised to do either, but NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran on Monday talked about the Patriots being firm on taking a quarterback in that spot.
Similar to Chicago, New England traded quarterback Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth round pick. Jones and Fields ironically came from the same quarterback class of 2021.
Likewise, Darnold’s last former team, the San Francisco 49ers, traded up for the No. 3 pick that year and selected Marshall, Minnesota, native Trey Lance. That didn’t work either as the 49ers traded Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth round pick.
Vikings Face Cautionary Tale in Draft
That all serves as a cautionary tale if the Vikings do swing for a top-three spot in the draft to take a potential franchise quarterback. How much Darnold and McCown could help a rookie such as Maye thrive also is a question.
Knowing a quarterback well and actually guiding him to succeed are two vastly different things, but successful NFL franchises are built on quality personal connections and that could be the case in the Vikings quarterback room this fall. For now, the Vikings have an experienced starter in Darnold, who could fill the void left by Kirk Cousins more than the most optimistic fan imagines.
That’s the point Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce dared to make on his “New Heights” podcast on March 13.
“Minnesota news broke that the Vikings are signing former Niners quarterback Sam Darnold, which is a great signing for them,” Kelce said. “I think Sam has got a lot of good football left in him as well. Had a tough scenario over there in Carolina.”
Darnold started his career with the Jets as a top-three pick and didn’t pan out there with a franchise that hasn’t won consistently in decades. His next stop with the Carolina Panthers after a trade didn’t work out either as that franchise remains stuck in rebuild mode.
The last stop for Darnold may lead to different results in Minnesota. Darnold spent the 2023 season with a Super Bowl team under a seasoned head coach in Kyle Shanahan, and Darnold worked with a talent-laden offense in the process.
If Darnold turned things around in Minnesota, it wouldn’t be the first time a former Jets quarterback did that nor the first time a high pick from his draft class did that. Former Jets quarterback Geno Smith turned around his career with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022 when he replaced Russell Wilson.
Meanwhile, Baker Mayfield, who was picked No. 1 in the same class as Darnold in 2018, turned things around with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023 as he replaced Tom Brady.
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