Sam Darnold won a franchise record setting 14 games with the Minnesota Vikings in his lone season in the purple and white (2024-2025). This led to an NFC Wildcard berth against the Los Angeles Rams. Unfortunately, they were eliminated after losing 27-9 on the road against quarterback Matthew Stafford and co. at SoFi Stadium. 

The Vikings' brain trust then collectively allowed Darnold to walk in free agency and sign a contract with the Seattle Seahawks, leaving them with a developmental project in second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy. 

Fast forward to now, and Darnold will be making his Super Bowl debut in Santa Clara in two weeks after defeating the Rams 31-27 in this year's NFC Championship game. 

One can't help but think about the amount of pressure that now sits on the shoulders of the Vikings' decision makers, as they pick up the pieces after a disappointing 9-8 season which saw McCarthy struggle through injuries and inconsistent play.