Sam Darnold’s Tag-and-Trade Possibility Is Gaining Some Steam

The Minnesota Vikings are a team to watch ahead of free agency, especially because they still employ quarterback Sam Darnold, who is likely the top quarterback on the market after a Pro Bowl season in 2024. They can still hand him a lucrative extension, but also have the option to apply the franchise tag.

Sam Darnold’s Tag-and-Trade Possibility Is Gaining Some Steam

The franchise tag window has been open for almost two weeks and will be available for the Vikings and other teams until Tuesday.

Prior to the draft combine, most reports suggested that the Vikings weren’t interested in using the franchise tag and that they would likely let Darnold test the market.

Tony Pauline (Sportskeeda), however, reported that the Las Vegas Raiders are interested in Darnold’s services, and a tag-and-trade could be in play.

“After losing out on Matthew Stafford, what will the Las Vegas Raiders do next? There are still persistent rumors they may try to trade up for a quarterback in the draft. People close to Sam Darnold tell me that Raiders coach Pete Carroll will work to make a move to acquire the quarterback from the Vikings.”

The Raiders make sense as a potential Darnold destination. Pete Carroll, the new head coach, is 73 years old, and he might not be interested in a long-term developmental plan at the QB position.

Las Vegas employs a mix of subpar QBs with Aidan O’Connell, a late-round pick from the 2023 draft, veteran journeyman Gardner Minshew, and former Falcons starter Desmond Ridder, a restricted free agent.

Calming down a franchise that has gone through a ton of turmoil in the last few years is the main goal. That’s why Carroll was hired, and pairing the experienced coach with a solid passer would bring the organization even closer towards that goal.

“As has been reported elsewhere, Minnesota is seriously considering a tag-and-trade option with Darnold, similar to what the Packers did with Davante Adams just a few years ago before the Raiders acquired the receiver,” Pauline noted. “Even before all the Stafford and now Darnold rumors to the Raiders started, I heard that the team was seriously considering cutting quarterback Gardner Minshew, who still has guaranteed money in his contract.”

The benefit of a tag-and-trade scenario is obvious for the Vikings. It would land them some extra draft compensation, something they would surely accept because the club only has a pair of fifth-rounders outside of pick 24 and a likely incoming 97th-overall compensatory pick from the Kirk Cousins exit.

The Raiders, meanwhile, would avoid a potential bidding war in free agency and secure Darnold’s rights for at least the 2025 season. They could offer him a long-term contract without any of those bidding wars on the open market. Las Vegas is expected to have ten picks in the upcoming draft, including picks 6, 37, 68, and 73.

After winning the Coach of the Year trophy, head coach Kevin O’Connell said about his passer, “Look, you guys know how I feel about Sam. He is a guy who we identified last year as someone who could come in and be successful, and really, no matter where he was before he arrived, it was about maximizing our time together. And I think we did that.”

“I think it was a very special year for Sam, and what that earned him is that everybody in our league thinks he’s a bonafide, legitimate starting quarterback in our league and can win a lot of football games. He won 14 of them. So, he’s earned the right to be a free agent. But we will continue to have ongoing dialogue and discussions with him and his representation, as well as being really excited about J.J. McCarthy and where he’s at in his rehab.”

McCarthy’s rehab has gone pretty smoothly, and he is expected to be back on the field when the Vikings arrive at TCO Performance Center for OTAs in May.

At this point, all options are still on the table for quarterback Darnold. He might sign a deal with the Vikings or get franchise tagged, and the Vikings could trade him away after using the franchise tag.

Barring the tag or a new contract, he will be eligible to negotiate with other teams on March 10th and sign elsewhere on March 12th.

Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt