Sam Darnold On What Led to Breakout Season With Vikings: “It's About Trusting the Process”

Sam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowler Sam Darnold will be the most coveted quarterback on the free market entering the offseason.

The 27-year-old is coming off of a breakthrough season in which he surprisingly led the Vikings to a 14-3 record and a playoff berth. The former No. 3 overall pick in the draft finally found his footing in Minnesota, throwing 35 touchdowns, 4,319 passing yards, completing 66.2% of his passes and posting a 102.5 passer rating. Those are all career highs across the board, with his touchdowns, passing yards and passer rating all ranking within the top six of all quarterbacks in the NFL.

The seven-year veteran details why he was finally able to look like a franchise quarterback during the 2024 season.

"I think it's just the work I've put in my entire career," says Darnold in a one-on-one interview with RG. "It's really about just trusting that process. Trusting the work I put in the offseason, how I work during the season and that's pretty much it, just trusting that."

Before this season, Darnold had struggled to establish himself as a franchise quarterback, becoming a journeyman over the first several years of his career. He started during his first three seasons with the New York Jets, posting a 13-25 record. Darnold would then start for the Carolina Panthers, where he went 8-9 as a starter. He also spent a year as a backup to Brock Purdy with the San Francisco 49ers.

However, it became clear early on that he found a fit in Minnesota playing under head coach and former quarterback Kevin O'Connell. O'Connell spent five years in the NFL as a backup and was a third-round draft pick. The 39-year-old O'Connell also won a Super Bowl as the offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams while coaching Matthew Stafford.

As mentioned previously, Darnold will enter free agency as the most sought-after quarterback on the market, given the season he has just had and that he is now entering his prime at the age of 27.

There will be a number of quarterback-needy teams looking for a veteran, including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Las Vegas Raiders. That said, the Vikings could very well run it back with Darnold, considering their success with him at quarterback and his great relationship with O'Connell.

Two things may prevent a Vikings-Darnold reunion: the money offered to the veteran on the market and the fact that Minnesota has 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy waiting to take over the starting job.

"I think right now, just working with my agent, I need to really just continue to talk to him and hash out those details on what we're kind of looking for," says Darnold when asked his approach to free agency. "That's really it. I've had a couple of conversations, but nothing groundbreaking, nothing worth reporting about."