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The Minnesota Vikings are about to enter a busy offseason, and their decision at quarterback will be one of the biggest dominos to fall across NFL free agency.
The Vikings will have until March 5 to decide on whether to use their franchise tag on starting QB Sam Darnold, who’s expected to be among the most coveted free agents should he hit the open market. A recent report by Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post hinted that J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota’s future at the position, could face an uphill battle at rebuilding his body for a full NFL season following a pair of knee surgeries and rehab.
If the Vikings pass on tagging Darnold for 2025 — which feels likely given the $40-plus million price tag — they’ll need to look elsewhere to find another veteran QB to pair with McCarthy. While Daniel Jones feels like the most likely option after spending the final two months of the season on Minnesota’s roster, Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports believes the team could take a much bolder line.
Sullivan recently proposed a mega trade between the Vikings and Los Angeles Rams that would send Super Bowl champion quarterback Matthew Stafford to Minnesota for this year’s No. 24 overall draft pick. Here was his take:
First off, this truly centers around the Vikings’ desire to retain Sam Darnold (who faltered down the stretch) and confidence in J.J. McCarthy. If they want to improve their quarterback play from Darnold and still believe McCarthy needs more time to develop, Stafford gives the Vikings a high ceiling for at least the next two seasons. If they think McCarthy is ready to ascend to QB1, however, or decide to stick with Darnold either via the franchise tag or an extension, that blocks this landing spot for Stafford.
There is a connection between Stafford and the Vikings thanks to head coach Kevin O’Connell, who was his offensive coordinator in L.A. during his first season with the Rams in 2021, which led to a Super Bowl LVI title. That prior relationship could help facilitate a deal.
From the Rams’ side of things, they’d be armed with two first-round picks (No. 24 and No. 26), which they could use to move around the board or simply stick and pick. Another layer to this would be that Darnold would shake free from Minnesota, creating another option for the Rams as they search for their next quarterback for the foreseeable future.
There’s no denying the connection between Stafford and Vikings, as head coach Kevin O’Connell comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree and won Super Bowl LVI as offensive coordinator of the Rams with Stafford at QB. It’s also hard to argue the potential upgrade from Darnold to Stafford, especially when you consider the two Minnesota-Rams matchups in 2024.
There’s one major roadblock to this proposed deal happening, though, and that’s the Vikings swapping their first-round pick for a 37-year-old quarterback.
The bulk of the current issues on Minnesota’s roster stem from a lack of developing draft picks into starters. The track record during GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s tenure has not been kind, and if not for wide receiver Jordan Addison and some home-run free agent finds, the Vikings would be in even bigger trouble.
The Vikings had one of the oldest rosters in football in 2024, and they’re expected to have a league-low four selections in the 2025 NFL Draft. Trading one of those picks — never mind No. 24 overall — for a QB nearing the end of the line would be a scary proposition for the long-term future of the franchise.
Stafford to Minnesota only makes sense if the Rams fail to find a trade partner and release him this offseason. Otherwise, the Vikings should look to bridge the gap to McCarthy with a cheaper free agent like Jones, while hitting on the few draft picks they have this April.
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