Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold is coming off a career-best season, having completed 361 of 545 passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a passer rating of 100.2, while also earning his first Pro Bowl selection. However, with no contract extension in place, Darnold is set to become a free agent and will be eligible to sign with any team starting on March 12.
As is typical, several teams are in urgent need of a quarterback, and John Molnar predicts that Darnold will sign with the Las Vegas Raiders, who finished the 2024 season with a disappointing 4-13 record, marking their third consecutive losing season. Molnar suggests that a deal for Darnold, potentially structured similarly to Baker Mayfield’s three-year, $100 million contract, could benefit the Raiders. In this scenario, Darnold would be surrounded by talent, including tight end Brock Bowers, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, and the sixth overall pick in the upcoming draft, which Molnar believes would make for a strong fit.
Darnold could be a significant upgrade over the Raiders’ quarterbacks from the 2024 season, which included Gardner Minshew, who started nine games, Aidan O’Connell, who started seven, and Desmond Ridder, who had one start. The three quarterbacks collectively completed 409 of 634 passes for 3,763 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions, resulting in a lackluster offensive performance that saw the Raiders tie with the Chicago Bears for 27th in the league in points per game, averaging just 18.2 points.
Looking ahead to 2025, the Raiders are in a favorable financial position, holding $95 million in cap space, the second-highest amount in the league. This gives the team ample flexibility to afford whatever contract Darnold may command, making the Raiders well-equipped to pursue the quarterback if they decide to move forward with him as their future signal-caller.
