The Minnesota Vikings are staring down one of the toughest pills to swallow in recent franchise memory - and it's wearing Seahawks blue.
Sam Darnold, once on their roster and seemingly within reach for a longer-term deal just a season ago, is now preparing to play on the NFL’s biggest stage. Meanwhile, the Vikings are left wondering what might’ve been. It’s a storyline that’s gone from frustrating to downright haunting for fans in Minnesota - especially as Darnold’s resurgence in Seattle has become one of the league's most surprising success stories.
The Vikings opted to roll with rookie J.J. McCarthy in 2025, handing the keys to a young quarterback with promise, but also plenty of growing pains.
That decision, in hindsight, came at a steep cost. Not only did Darnold thrive elsewhere, but the fallout in Minnesota was swift and significant - including the dismissal of former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
And now, the locker room is starting to speak up.
Running back Aaron Jones didn’t mince words during a recent appearance on the Nightcap podcast, reflecting on what the team had - and what slipped through their fingers.
“I felt like we had everything we needed [last year], but we are not GMs, that’s outside of us,” Jones said. “When you got a group of guys behind a QB, and he wants to stay somewhere, I think you should try to make it work.”
That’s not just frustration talking - that’s a veteran voicing what many in the building have likely been thinking for months. Darnold had the support of the locker room.
He wanted to stay. The Vikings chose a different path.
McCarthy’s rookie campaign started rough - and that’s putting it lightly. In his first six starts, he managed to complete over 60% of his passes just twice, with six touchdowns and 10 interceptions during that stretch. It was the kind of start that tests a fanbase’s patience and a franchise’s resolve.
To his credit, McCarthy did show growth down the stretch. He closed the season strong, winning his final four starts and putting up a more respectable five touchdowns to two picks. But even with that late-season surge, it’s hard to ignore the gap between what Minnesota got - and what they let walk away.
Because over in Seattle, Darnold wasn’t just serviceable - he was the engine behind a 14-3 season. He threw for over 4,000 yards, 25 touchdowns, and completed nearly 68% of his passes. Sure, the 14 interceptions aren’t ideal, but when you’re winning that many games and leading a team to the Super Bowl, those blemishes get a little easier to overlook.
And when the lights got brighter, Darnold elevated his game. In two postseason matchups, he completed just shy of 70% of his passes for 470 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions. That’s not just managing games - that’s winning them.
So, where does that leave Minnesota?
Stuck in the what-ifs. What if they had kept Darnold?
What if they had built around a veteran QB with experience and upside instead of handing the reins to a rookie? What if this team - with the same core - had a chance to gel with a quarterback they already trusted?
There’s no going back now. The Vikings made their choice, and they’re living with the consequences. But the path forward is clear: they need to bring in a seasoned veteran who can push McCarthy, raise the floor of the quarterback room, and help get this team back into playoff contention.
Because as the Seahawks prep for the Super Bowl with Darnold under center, the Vikings are left watching - and learning. And if they want to avoid repeating history, the next move at quarterback needs to be the right one.