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This offseason promises to be an interesting one for the Minnesota Vikings. After putting all their eggs in the J.J. McCarthy basket, the team has learned he couldn’t have been less ready to lead an NFL franchise.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah spent heavily last spring, yet the Vikings sit at 4-8 through 13 weeks. Significant turnover is coming, and Minnesota must find ways to shrink a massively inflated cap sheet.
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One area Kevin O’Connell will need major help is quarterback. McCarthy can’t return as the unquestioned starter, and now one of the quarterbacks they moved on from might unexpectedly hit the open market.
Sam Darnold Could Be Cut by the Seattle Seahawks
Although the Vikings didn’t want to meet Sam Darnold’s full asking price, they did want him back. Minnesota reportedly offered a similar deal with shorter terms, but Darnold chose stability in Seattle. It’s now possible the Seahawks won’t actually provide that stability after all.
Darnold signed a three-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seahawks in free agency this year. He is under contract for a very reasonable $28 million in 2026 and $45.7 million in 2027. But as is the Seahawks’ policy with veteran contracts, none of the money beyond the first year was guaranteed at signing. If Darnold is still on the Seahawks’ roster five days after the Super Bowl (so, Feb. 13), then $17.5 million of his 2026 compensation becomes fully guaranteed. But if they were to cut him before that, they wouldn’t owe even one more penny and would be on the hook for just $25.6 million in dead money.
Now, the Seahawks are one of the best teams in the league, and Darnold is a big part of the reason why. He’s ninth in QBR at 64.3 and completing 68.3% of his throws. Odds are the Seahawks keep him for 2026. But they build these contracts this way on purpose — to give themselves maximum flexibility. If the Seahawks decide Darnold isn’t their guy — or if they find someone else they think is an upgrade — they would be in position to pivot without very much financial pain.
NFL insider Dan Graziano recently listed several surprising cut candidates, and Darnold made the list. It would be stunning to see Seattle move on from the quarterback who has led them to a 9-3 record, but this is also the same organization that sent Geno Smith packing immediately after signing Darnold.
After posting a 66.2% completion rate with Minnesota last year, Darnold has been even sharper in Seattle, completing 68.2% of his passes. He’s thrown 19 touchdowns against just 10 interceptions while helping Jaxon Smith-Njigba emerge as one of the league’s brightest young receivers.
There’s no obvious football reason for head coach Mike Macdonald to reset his quarterback situation, but the Vikings quite literally just made the same choice. If Seattle falls short of a Super Bowl run, the front office could decide to allocate resources elsewhere.
It would be a truly wild full-circle moment if Darnold ended up back in Minnesota. It would be nearly as shocking if he hit the open market at all. For now though, Graziano isn’t ready to rule it out.
Mentioned in this article: J.J. McCarthy Kevin O’Connell Sam Darnold
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