Viking Tabbed NFL’s Biggest Surprise
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah entered the 2024 NFL offseason with a lengthy to-do list after the exit of some of the club’s staples and even more holes on the roster. Both Brian Flores and Kevin O’Connell surely emphasized internally that they needed some new playmakers.
Viking Tabbed NFL’s Biggest Surprise
Andrew Van Ginkel, Blake Cashman, and Jonathan Greenard have shined in Flores’ unit, while Aaron Jones has made a difference on the offensive side of the ball. Rarely has a free agency class been this good through half a season.
However, none of those guys has been as much of a surprise as quarterback Sam Darnold.
Signed as a bridge quarterback between the past (Kirk Cousins) and the future (future rookie quarterback), Darnold was asked to be the season’s starter as soon as tenth overall pick J.J. McCarthy hit injured reserve.
On that day, a large portion of the fanbase expected the season to be doomed. The reason, of course, was Darnold and his underwhelming track record. He was rightfully viewed as a failed high draft pick who’s already on the fourth team in his short career.
Fast forward roughly two-and-a-half months and Darnold has guided his Vikings into playoff contention and a strong 6-2 record.
NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha has summarized the NFL’s first half of the season and named Darnold the league’s biggest surprise.
Chadiha wrote: “This has been one of the best stories in the NFL this season. There was no buzz when the Vikings signed Darnold to a one-year, $10 million deal in March. He’d become a journeyman quarterback, one who went from being a top-three pick of the Jets in 2018 to a player who couldn’t keep a job in Carolina and eventually became a backup in San Francisco. At best, he was supposed to help rookie J.J. McCarthy get acclimated to the league and then move on down the road. Nobody saw Darnold leading the Vikings to a 5-0 start. The same is true when you think about him ranking among the top five in the league in passer rating (107.8).”
Nobody expected Darnold to have thrown for 17 touchdowns in the first eight games, only two short of a single-season career high. If he can keep his pace up for the remainder of the season, he will log over 4,000 passing yards, 36 passing scores, and 15 interceptions.
The interception total is quite high, but he has shown the willingness to throw the ball down the field and into tight windows. He is never hesitating, which makes the offense explosive. The interceptions are a byproduct of that and will likely always be an issue of his. Still, those projected numbers would’ve sounded crazy in August, but they are realistic now.
Chadiha is giving credit to both O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah but thinks Darnold should be credited for his growth: “Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah deserves credit for pursuing Darnold as an option, while head coach Kevin O’Connell has done a fine job of coaching him up. But make no mistake: This doesn’t happen if Darnold doesn’t come in and prove he has the ability to do some of the things people projected upon him when he was a younger hotshot prospect. Darnold is a testament to what can happen when you give a talented player a strong supporting cast and reliable coaching. The Vikings, now 6-2 after Sunday night’s win over Indianapolis, are a serious playoff contender because of that.”
Darnold will continue to feed his weapons, and with the recent comeback of T.J. Hockenson, he now has the full arsenal at his disposal. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison will feast on the outside as long as Darnold continues to stand in the pocket and pull the trigger on downfield throws, and Hockenson can help make the offense more efficient by making himself available on shorter throws in the middle of the field.
The quarterback has experienced a career year. It would require a shocking development down the road for Darnold to stick around after the season. Rookie McCarthy is valued in the building too highly. Regardless, another QB-needy team will pay Darnold a solid salary in free agency next offseason.
Minnesota needs Darnold to continue his resurgence to be relevant in the NFC. His mistakes were punished more in the last few games, and he needs to play cleaner football to unleash Minnesota’s offense fully. The former third-overall pick needs to find the sweet spot between gunslinger and conservative play.
Nonetheless, his play has been a massive surprise.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt