After months of grind-it-out football-preseason reps, 18 weeks of regular-season drama, and a postseason that gave us heart-stoppers almost every weekend-the NFL’s biggest stage is set. Super Bowl 60 is heading to Levi’s Stadium, where the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will square off for the Lombardi Trophy on February 8. And if you're a Minnesota Vikings fan, this is probably the last matchup you wanted to see.
Not because the teams themselves are particularly loathed in Minnesota, but because of who's under center for each squad: Sam Darnold and Drake Maye-two quarterbacks who, in very different ways, are deeply connected to what could’ve been for the Vikings.
Let’s start with Darnold, the former No. 3 overall pick who arrived in Minnesota last offseason on a one-year, $10 million deal. The plan was simple: he’d serve as a bridge quarterback, a veteran presence to hold the fort while the Vikings groomed their rookie signal-caller, J.J.
McCarthy. But when McCarthy went down with a season-ending injury in the preseason, Darnold didn’t just hold the line-he lit it up.
Darnold delivered the best season of his career, leading Minnesota to a 14-3 record while setting personal highs in completion percentage (66.2), passing yards (4,319), touchdowns (31), and passer rating (102.5). He looked like the player many thought he could be coming out of USC-poised, decisive, and in total command of the offense.
But instead of locking him down with the franchise tag, the Vikings let him walk. Seattle swooped in with a three-year, $100.5 million deal, and Darnold picked up right where he left off.
Another 14-3 season. Another efficient, high-level campaign: 67.7% completion rate, 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns.
And in the playoffs? He’s been surgical-nearly 70% completion, four touchdowns, no picks, and a 122.4 passer rating through two games.
That’s the kind of postseason performance that turns good quarterbacks into legends.
Meanwhile, back in Minnesota, McCarthy’s rookie year didn’t go as planned. Health issues limited him to just 10 starts, and when he was on the field, the results were mixed.
He completed only 57.6% of his passes and threw more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (11). The Vikings still managed to go 6-4 in his starts, but the inconsistency was hard to ignore.
And then there’s the other half of this Super Bowl quarterback pairing-Drake Maye. Before the Vikings settled on McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft, they reportedly tried to trade up to No. 3 to grab Maye. The Patriots said no, held firm, and now they’re reaping the rewards.
Maye has been nothing short of spectacular in his rookie season. He led the NFL in completion percentage (72.0), threw for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns, and posted a league-best 113.5 passer rating. He’s in the thick of the MVP conversation-and he’s only just getting started.
So here we are: Super Bowl 60, featuring two quarterbacks the Vikings either had and let go, or wanted but couldn’t get. For Minnesota fans, it’s a tough pill to swallow. Watching Darnold and Maye go head-to-head for a championship is a reminder of how quickly the NFL can turn-and how close the Vikings were to a very different reality.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell will no doubt be watching closely on February 8. Not just as football men, but as decision-makers whose choices helped shape this moment-from the quarterback they drafted, to the one they let leave, to the one they couldn’t quite land.