Minnesota looked at all of its options before signing Darnold as a free agent.
We're 12 games into the Sam Darnold era with the Vikings and with a 10-2 record, it's safe to say that it has been a smashing success, but how close was Minnesota to going in a different direction at QB last offseason?, the Vikings looked at all their options before signing Darnold. Kevin O'Connell and the front office checked in on the availability of Rams QB Matthew Stafford — who was the QB when O'Connell was the offensive coordinator in LA.
"Minnesota weighed other options. It had monitored Matthew Stafford’s difficult contract negotiation with the Rams , but Sam Darnold emerged as their first choice," Russini reported. "One day after Cousins left for the Falcons, Minnesota agreed to a one-year deal with Darnold."Stafford is 36 years old, but he's proven that he has plenty left in the tank this season. He's completing 66% of his passes for 2,983 yards, 17 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions.
There's no way of knowing what the deal could've been to acquire Stafford, but Minnesota went a far more inexperienced route with Darnold. Stafford is making $23.5 million this season compared to Darnold who is making $10 million. Stafford is a proven big-time player having led the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2022, while Darnold hasn't even appeared in a postseason game as a starting quarterback.
If Minnesota decided to strike a deal with the Rams, acquiring free agents like Jonathan Grenard and Andrew Van Ginkel could've been tougher with less salary available. Ultimately, it's impossible to know how different the Vikings could be this season with Stafford, but it's fun to speculate.
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