It’s still uncertain whether Sam Darnold will remain with the Minnesota Vikings next season, but even if he does, it won’t be through the franchise tag. According to Andrew Krammer of the *Star Tribune*, the Vikings have decided against using the expensive one-year option to keep Darnold for 2025. Krammer reported on February 28 that the team does not plan to tag Darnold, as the cost is expected to exceed $40 million. “They know now that tag is going to be over $40 million. That was the anticipation the entire time. At this point, they don’t anticipate tagging him,” Krammer said. He added that trading a player on the franchise tag is notoriously difficult, making the move impractical.
Darnold’s performance in critical moments last season further diminishes the logic of using the franchise tag to keep him. Had he excelled in Week 18 or during the playoffs, and if the Vikings had made a deeper postseason run, tagging him might have been a reasonable strategy. However, Darnold struggled under pressure, suggesting that head coach Kevin O’Connell’s system was more responsible for his success than his own abilities. Moving on from a quarterback who threw for over 4,300 yards and 35 touchdowns would have been tougher to justify if the Vikings had been legitimate Super Bowl contenders with Darnold, but that wasn’t the case.
The Vikings’ decision also hinges on the development of second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Had McCarthy faced further setbacks after two knee surgeries in 2024, tagging Darnold for another season might have made sense. However, the team has confirmed that McCarthy will be ready for offseason workouts and is firmly positioned as the franchise’s future quarterback. Given this, along with the fact that the Vikings spent the No. 10 overall pick on McCarthy in last year’s draft, the team is committed to building around him.
Using the franchise tag to retain Darnold with the intention of trading him could have been a way for the Vikings to recoup draft assets rather than letting him walk in free agency. However, Krammer noted that such a strategy is rare and risky. “I don’t think there’s many teams that want to acquire [Darnold] on a one-year deal,” Krammer explained. “It would have to be a situation where teams want to work out a long-term contract with him, and that takes time and willingness.” He also pointed out that tagging Darnold with the goal of trading him would essentially give him a no-trade clause if he opposed being sent to a specific team.
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