Sam Darnold piled up stats this season, charmed the fanbase and probably earned himself a nice payday in the process. But will he get it from the Vikings?

The Minnesota Vikings are keeping an eye on J.J. McCarthy’s rehab as he recovers from a torn meniscus that ended his rookie season before it ever began. How he continues to progress will determine how the Vikings answer the most pertinent question about the most important position.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) celebrates a touchdown with quarterback Sam Darnold (14) during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was announced as a finalist for the National Football League’s Comeback Player of The Year award. Vikings coach Kevin

Darnold is now making the most of his time off ahead of what should be a very interesting offseason. On Friday, his girlfriend, Katie Hoofnagle, took to Instagram to share an offseason update on the former USC star. Apparently, Darnold appears to have taken up a new hobby.

And then, not long afterward, the 2025 offseason will get underway with what could be a big wave of big-name activity at the position. Several high-profile starters are on track to become free agents in March,

"I would say most likely, he's played his final game in Minnesota," Schultz said on The Herd. In the caption he posted with the video of the segment, he said he has "a hard time seeing (Darnold) back in Minnesota" and that "J.J. McCarthy is the future."

That was before quarterback guru Kevin O'Connell arrived in Minnesota. He's made the Vikings a dream destination for any quarterback looking for a change of scenery, including Fields, who named Minnesota one of his four preferred destinations in a trade last year.

The Professional Football Writers of America have named Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold the NFL's Most Improved Player of the Year.

The Minnesota Vikings are primed to franchise tag QB Sam Darnold and then trade him in an unprecedented NFL move.

Signed by the Vikings in March on a one-year, $10 million deal, Darnold — starting over injured rookie J.J. McCarthy, who underwent surgery for his meniscus during preseason — helped lead Minnesota to a 14-3 regular season record that boasted a nine-game win streak.