Vikings Rumors: Re-Signing Sam Darnold, Kwesi (Finally) Nailed It, and Week 4 Reinforcements
Since we’re officially into the portion of the year when Vikings rumors are ramping up, we’ll be highlighting some of the purple rumblings.
The “Vikings Rumor Wrangle” is a series that keeps readers informed on what’s being whispered about in Vikings Land. In this iteration, we discuss potentially re-signing Sam Darnold, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah finally nailing it at an important position, and Week 4 potentially offering some reinforcements.
Vikings Rumors: 09.25.2024
Rumor #1 — Will the Vikings Re-Sign Sam Darnold?
Last week, SKOR North‘s Phil Mackey tossed a hypothetical question out at social media about Sam Darnold.
Mackey begins by asking about “a contract extension if you ran the Vikings.” There’s then a list of Darnold’s accomplishments across various advanced metrics and statistical categories. The final question: “Let’s say he stays top five in all those categories, would you sign him to like a Baker Mayfield/Geno Smith-type contract?”
“That’d be a great problem to have,” Mackey concludes.
During the summer and leading into the season, PurplePTSD explored the precise topic. More specifically, there was a question about what the Vikings would do if Sam Darnold succeeds. The thinking is that it would be a curveball that Minnesota may struggle to hit.
The real kicker, folks, isn’t going to be the efficiency metrics (though those stats are important). Rather, it will be the wins. If, for instance, Darnold leads Minnesota deep into the playoffs, could the team really move on? After all, the Vikings never got very far with the well-paid Kirk Cousins under center. Could the $10 million Darnold push Minnesota deep into the postseason? If so, then moving on feels very unlikely.
Alas, we’re talking about a good problem, as Mackey suggests. Sam Darnold being so successful that he necessitates some sort of new deal would be a champagne problem.
Rumor #2 — Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Nailed it at Edge Rusher (Finally)
For a little bit, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been trying to figure out the edge rusher spot.
The first major move was to land Za’Darius Smith, someone who had a dominant opening half of the 2022 season before struggling a bit more as the season wore on. The issue is that the former Packer forced his way out via trade. So, a partial solution.
Next up was an ill-fated deal for Marcus Davenport. The ultra-talented pass rusher succumbed to injury as a Viking, which has been his undoing throughout his career. When on the field, Davenport is a stud. The problem is that he’s seldom on the field. A swing and a miss from the GM.
Move into 2024 and things are looking very different.
Free agency was used to onboard Jonathan Greenard (4 sacks), Andrew Van Ginkel (3 sacks), and Jihad Ward (pressure aplenty). Plus, the draft kicked over Dallas Turner (1 sack) at No. 17 and then there was the decision to retain Patrick Jones II (4 sacks), which didn’t look like a sure thing at the start of the offseason. Those five edge rushers are proving to be excellent. Genuinely, they’ve been playing excellent football.
Minnesota leads the NFL in sacks with 16. More importantly, they’re consistently being disruptive up front. Credit goes to Brian Flores for concocting such a brilliant scheme, but don’t forget the GM who has missed a couple times before finally getting it right.
Rumor #3 — Week 4 Should Involve Some Reinforcements
Just imagine once the offense is operating at full strength.
Even getting Jordan Addison back will be a major boost. The sophomore receiver had 70 receptions, 911 yards, and 10 touchdowns as a rookie. His effort at Lambeau — 8 targets, 7 receptions, 82 yards, and 1 score — was a critical in picking up the win. Per Kevin O’Connell, Addison is day-to-day.
Of course, there’s going to be a lot of attention paid to who is under center for the Packers. Jordan Love has been working through a knee injury; in the meantime, Malik Willis has been doing a good job as the starting QB in Green Bay.
Regardless of who is taking the snaps, Dallas Turner and Ivan Pace Jr. will have a role to play. The outside linebacker and inside linebacker are both capable pass rushers, so seeing one/both play would be a boost. Like Addison, O’Connell explained that they were day-to-day.
Kickoff for the Minnesota at Green Bay game is at 12 p.m. CT. The game takes place on Sunday, September 29th.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
Kevin O’Connell’s Bizarre Description for Sam Darnold
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.