You can already feel the excitement for the new league season. It’s almost here, and big names are set to enter free agency. Until now, one of those massive names has been the 2024 star QB Sam Darnold. The man who led the Vikings to the Wild Card round hasn’t signed with anyone yet. It’s surprising that Minnesota hasn’t given him a contract after all the things he did. But you know what? There was always hope that the team would not let a talented quarterback go. And if we believe recent rumors, it appears that they are indeed not letting him go.

The case of the Vikings and Sam Darnold has taken a massive turn. After weeks of holding the QB in the middle, the team could be making their final call. And it’s going to be a good one. Darnold signed with the Minnesota last offseason for a one-year contract. At that time it was speculated that Darnold and rookie JJ McCarthy would face off for QB1, but we never saw it happen. Unfortunately, McCarthy suffered an injury prior to the season, and Darnold took advantage of the opportunity. He went on a streak to demolish every team and perhaps this won over the Vikings’ hearts. But is the team signing him? Or is he going to any other team? Aren’t the Giants also in talks with him? What’s going on there?

Well, there are so many questions and Dianna Russini answered all of them. She stated in her latest findings for Sam Darnold are that “most teams” believe the Vikings and Darnold have found common ground. And due to that, there is a good probability that the organization is looking to sign the 27-year-old quarterback, but nothing is “official” or “final.” So there you go. These reports almost shut up the rumors of Darnold potentially going to the Giants. The New York, on the other hand, already signed Tommy DeVito, so maybe Darnold can go back to the Vikings, surely.

Last season Darnold threw for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record. These figures are impressive, but if Darnold is in the team this year, things will get a bit heated up. Because projections are that JJ McCarthy will join the team this season, and while he may miss training camp, the 22-year-old is expected to return by the regular season. After that, Minnesota will confront the same QB chaos: two quarterbacks competing for one starting position.

The hope is that the team would choose the greatest choice available at the moment, so that its playoff hopes in 2025 are not jeopardized. The Vikings’ loss last season in the Wild Card Round was shocking and they would not like to make the same mistake again. It will be intriguing to see how the team approaches the 2025 season. And if they can have Sam Darnold once again, they might let go another 27-year-old star.

Is it possible that the Vikings are releasing their CBs just to sign Sam Darnold?

Well, the cap money is something that prevents the team from signing too many players. Obviously. And this year’s cap restriction for every team is $280 million. Projections are that if the Vikings want to sign Sam Darnold, they will need to clear some room. And per reports, the team made the decision to let their key cornerbacks go free a few days ago to free up some cap space. All four of their defensive players, Byron Murphy Jr., Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin, and Fabian Moreau, are poised to enter free agency next week. But wait!! Byron Murphy Jr. was about to get a contract, right?

Well, yeah, but things did not go as planned. The 27-year-old standout has been a major part of the Vikings’ recent success. And, while there were indeed talks about his contract being renewed last week, it appears that the team did not make the final call. And thus, it is likely that Byron will enter free agency next week. Ouch. Obviously, signing Sam Darnold is not inexpensive, and perhaps after signing the quarterback, the other players can be altered.

In 2024, Byron Murphy Jr. earned roughly $8.5 million, Stephon Gilmore earned around $7,000,000, Shaq Griffin earned around $4,550,000, and Fabian Moreau earned around $1,210,000. So their total cap hit was approximately $7-8 million. With this much cap space, the Vikings will have plenty of room to move Sam Darnold around. Only time will tell what the team’s thoughts are on this case. And the hope is that the quarterback will sign a deal before the new league year begins.