The Minnesota Vikings’ first major decision of the offseason will revolve around their quarterback situation, and the sooner they make up their minds, the sooner they can focus on assembling the best roster for the 2025 season.
Unfortunately, head coach Kevin O’Connell acknowledged that Sam Darnold has made the decision challenging, revealing that discussions with Darnold’s representatives are still ongoing.
“We haven’t made that decision yet,” O’Connell stated on February 13 during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. “I’ve talked to all three quarterbacks, including J.J. [McCarthy], who is here every day. I spoke to Sam for a long time yesterday, and I had a lengthy conversation with Daniel Jones too. I want them to understand that our relationship matters here. The communication between me, the players, the agents, and our front office will continue, but what we’re trying to build here goes beyond all that.”
After receiving the NFL Coach of the Year award, O’Connell emphasized that Darnold had earned the chance to be a free agent, signaling that the Vikings’ decision will be influenced by a looming deadline.
Vikings Likely to Avoid Franchise Tag for Darnold
The franchise tag window for the 2025 season opens from February 18 to March 4, and while teams can use the tag during this time, it is typically reserved for key players.
In Darnold’s case, the Vikings are not expected to apply the franchise tag, which would cost them around $40 million for the upcoming season.
“Kevin O’Connell told us that Sam Darnold has earned the right to be a free agent,” said Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on February 12 during The Rich Eisen Show. “That’s essentially their way of saying they’re not using the franchise tag, because they don’t want to pay him $40 million.”
“If Darnold explores his options elsewhere and decides he’d prefer to return to Minnesota for less than what he could earn, they’d be open to bringing him back,” Florio added.
A franchise tag would consume nearly 75% of the Vikings’ available cap space, which they’ll need as they have 25 players set to become free agents.
Potential for a Transition Tag
Although the franchise tag is unlikely, the Vikings could consider using a transition tag on Darnold. This would allow the team to match any competing offers, but at a lower price of $35.2 million for the 2025 season, as reported by Sports Illustrated.
While still a significant cost, the transition tag would allow Minnesota more time to explore trade options, should that become necessary.
There’s a bit of strategy involved, as potential trade partners may hold off on discussions until Darnold is free of his contract, preferring to negotiate during the tampering period right before free agency. However, if multiple teams are interested in Darnold, either tag would keep him under team control and give the Vikings exclusive negotiating power with potential trade partners.