The One That Got Away: Sam Darnold, a Super Bowl, and the Question Vikings Fans Can’t Escape
When Sam Darnold hoisted the Lombardi Trophy as the starting quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks, it made me — and I am sure many other fans in Minnesota — ask the same question: is Sam Darnold the one that got away?
For Vikings fans, Darnold’s Super Bowl win opened a wound that makes many think: could that have been the Minnesota Vikings? Furthermore, there has been the reopened debate about whether the franchise made the right call by not committing to him and instead turning the page toward rookie J.J. McCarthy.
Comparing Sam Darnold with Minnesota vs. Seattle
Let’s compare how Darnold fared with his time in Minnesota in 2024 versus this season in Seattle in 2025.
Sam Darnold – 2024 Vikings (regular season)
- 4319 passing yards
- 35 touchdowns
- 12 interceptions
- 66.2% completion rate
Sam Darnold – 2025 Seahawks (regular season)
- 4,048 passing yards
- 25 touchdowns
- 14 interceptions
- 67.7% completion rate
In Seattle, Darnold looked like a quarterback fully comfortable with the weapons around him, but didn’t statistically play better than he did with the Vikings in 2024. So why did they go 14-3 in both seasons, and did Darnold play so much better in Minnesota?
The weapons he had in 2025 were arguably just as good as what he had offensively in Minnesota. The trio of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson are excellent. In Seattle, Darnold had Jaxon Smith-Njigba and a still serviceable but older Cooper Kupp before they acquired Rashid Shaheed. He still threw for a lot of yards, but he seemed better in Minnesota and more comfortable. But with a well-rounded team, stout offensive line, running game, and a top 3 defense, the team as a whole was good enough to win a Super Bowl.
How Should Vikings Fans Feel?
This is where things get complicated.
On one hand, Minnesota’s decision wasn’t irrational. J.J. McCarthy represents youth, upside, and long-term cost control at the most important position in sports. Teams capitalize and have been winning with quarterbacks on rookie contracts. The Vikings (led by Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell) clearly believed McCarthy could become that guy. They thought they could win in free agency and that McCarthy would be good enough for the next step after the early exit in the 2024 playoffs.
On the other hand, Darnold’s Super Bowl win validates something many fans felt when the team decided to move on to McCarthy: Letting Sam Darnold walk was the wrong decision. At this point, you can’t say anyone with that position was wrong. Darnold with this Vikings team is better than what the team is with a still-developing J.J. McCarthy. Given some of the social media reactions, the players think so, too.
Thoughts That Won’t Go Away
If the Vikings had re-signed Darnold and kept him as their 2025 starter, would they have had a legitimate playoff or Super Bowl chance?
Yes and no.
With another year of continuity, Darnold could have taken a similar step forward in the offense, but not in 2025, given the offensive line’s injury struggles. Would Sam Darnold have won more games for the Vikings and gotten into the playoffs? Yes, absolutely. Maybe not a guaranteed Super Bowl, but a realistic playoff run? Yes, I believe so. You never know what can happen in the playoffs, but decent-to-good QB play would also have put the defense in better spots, kept them more well-rested, and changed field position. This changes how “well-rounded” fans may view this Vikings 2025 roster and their performance.
Was the Decision Still the Right One?
Right now, we should all agree Minnesota fumbled the ball on this one.
Let’s be real, this isn’t about regret as much as perspective. I am going to root for J.J. McCarthy as long as he is Minnesota’s quarterback to succeed. Darnold winning a Super Bowl doesn’t mean the Vikings were “wrong” in their approach to trying to win, but they already had a sure thing in front of them, which was above-average play at the most important position in football.
Darnold was fortunate to land with the Seahawks just as much as Seattle was fortunate that the Vikings didn’t realize what they had until it was gone.
For Vikings fans, we can add it to the collection of heartbreak. Sam Darnold could be the one that got away.
