Did the Vikings' QB decision cripple their playoff hopes? Sam Darnold's success elsewhere sparks debate over a crucial strategic blunder.
The Minnesota Vikings (9-8) fell off hard in the 2025 NFL season. Many are looking for something, or someone, to blame.
It comes as no surprise that many are looking to the quarterback position to assign blame for the Vikings' dramatic drop off. And, as crazy as it sounds for a nine-win team that finished above .500, it was a dramatic drop off.
Levi Omeke of "Stadium Rant" went off on the decision to move on from former Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold. He detailed his thoughts.
"The Minnesota Vikings made a huge mistake by letting the Seattle Seahawks and former quarterback Sam Darnold go. Minnesota had the chemistry right with Darnold and head coach Kevin O’Connell.
At the very least, the Vikings should have franchise- tagged Darnold to see if he could replicate his success. They would have been a playoff team , but instead, they had a ragtag crew of quarterbacks- Carson Wentz, JJ McCarthy, and Max Brosner- throughout the season.
Darnold might not be great, but he is a good NFL QB. The Vikings were 7-10 in 2023 and went 14-3 in 2024 with him at the helm. The Seahawks were 10-7 in 2024 and went 14-3 with Darnold this season."
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) looks to throw a pass while scrambling against the Carolina Panthers during the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Jim Dedmon-Imagn ImagesIt's not always as simple as, "one quarterback gave us one record, and another gave us another record, and because the first quarterback won five more games, he's definitively better." It's that simple with Sam Darnold and current starter quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Record aside, the on-field product looked different, and the statistics certainly did. In Darnold's 2024 season, he threw for a career-best 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions with a rating of 102.9. By comparison, McCarthy has 12 interceptions, too. Only McCarthy had just 11 touchdowns and gave Justin Jefferson one of his least productive seasons as an NFL player.
One can argue that the Vikings made the right decision moving forward with the quarterback they drafted and trying to develop him. That was certainly always the goal. Nevertheless, perhaps it's fair to wonder if the team drafted the right guy or if they put him on the field too early.
Time will tell whether McCarthy pans out, but it's tough to say Darnold could not accomplish with Minnesota what he is doing with Seattle. The Vikings' defensive performance in 2025 makes it even more likely that Darnold could win with Minnesota this season.
If the Vikings wanted to win this season, they should have brought back Darnold. McCarthy will look to have a bounce back season in 2026.