The ‘perception’ of Sam Darnold that changed during the Vikings’ nightmarish skid

Sam Darnold’s horrible streak over the final two weeks of the Vikings season won’t negatively impact his future results.

That’s according to Bleacher Report’s James Palmer, who on Wednesday relayed the opinions of NFL executives he spoke to about Darnold, suggesting the idea that the quarterback’s career resurgence has changed “more than just his market.”

“I talked to an AFC executive yesterday, an NFC executive and they told me the same thing, there are too many teams that need quarterbacks for his market to change drastically even after those two games,” Palmer said. via Sports Illustrated of Darnold, who threw a touchdown in Minnesota’s last two games, including Monday’s season-ending loss to the Rams.

“They both told me that probably the perception of its recovery had been changed more than that of its market. And that’s because there are more teams and fewer quarterbacks.

Signed by the Vikings in March to a one-year deal worth $10 million, Darnold — starting with injured rookie JJ McCarthy, who underwent meniscus surgery during the preseason — helped Minnesota to achieve a 14–3 regular season record with a nine-game winning streak.

Heading into the final stretch of Minnesota’s 2024 campaign, speculation has begun to mount over whether Darnold — long considered a bust after failing to live up to expectations as the Jets’ No. 3 pick in 2018 – would be part of the Vikings’ future and what’s more, what kind of monster deal did he get himself involved in.

The bubble burst just days into the new year when the Vikings faced the Lions in the regular season finale with the NFC’s top seed and a first-round bye on the line.

Darnold went 18 of 41 for 166 yards and no touchdowns in the 31-9 loss to the Lions on Jan. 5, when he was also sacked twice.

Although the Vikings have officially turned the page on the playoffs, the ghost of Week 18 came back to haunt Darnold on Monday night, when the quarterback threw a touchdown, an interception and was sacked nine times in the 27- 9 at the end of the season.

“They were just better than us today,” Darnold said after the game. “I left a few shots that I could be better at, especially early in the game. …Just too many mistakes.

While these last two games certainly cast a shadow over Darnold’s otherwise stellar tenure in Minnesota, coach Kevin O’Connell highlighted the 27-year-old’s body of “work.”

“It’s very important that we all reflect on Sam’s body of work, what he was able to do this year, when few people thought he would be able to lead a team to 14 wins.” , O’Connell said. “It ultimately didn’t work, and I think Sam would be the first to tell you that. Could he have played better tonight? I’m sure he would tell you he could have. …Sam, and the trip that he and I took this year, will always be something that will always hold a special place in my heart, that’s for sure.

Darnold, whose career also included stops in Carolina and San Francisco, is one of several veteran free agent signal-callers hitting the market this spring.

It remains to be seen whether the quarterback-needy teams holding the highest numbers in this year’s draft – the Titans, Browns and Giants – will choose from a lukewarm class at the position or pay up for him. experience that a quarterback like Darnold has to offer.