Vikings Coach Kevin O'Connell Says Sam Darnold Has 'Best Football Ahead Of Him'

From the department of "What else is he going to say?" comes a quote from Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell. The Vikings signed quarterback Sam Darnold to a one-year contract this off-season after Kirk Cousins left to sign with the Atlanta Falcons.

As of now, Darnold slots in as the team's starting quarterback. However, the Vikings are likely to select a rookie in the NFL Draft to compete for that role. Since the Vikings hold the 11th pick in the first round, they're unlikely to land one of the top quarterback prospects. 

But there are other guys they may select, they could trade up, or they could wait until later rounds. Either way, Darnold has a decent shot of being the team's starting quarterback in Week 1 of the 2024-25 NFL season. 

That's … not great. Since the Jets selected Darnold with the #3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, he's been nothing short of a complete disaster. New York completely gave up on him and drafted another bust, Zach Wilson. 

After drafting Wilson, the Jets shipped Darnold to Carolina. That didn't work out, so the 49ers signed him as a backup. Now, he is with the Vikings – his fourth NFL team – for his seventh season. 

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell claims quarterback Sam Darnold has "his best football ahead of him."

(USA Today Sports)

Believe it or not, Darnold is still just 26 years old. Weird, right? Seems like he's been in the league for 15 years. He's played six seasons and his career stats are atrocious. 

He’s thrown nearly as many interceptions (56) as touchdown passes (63). His career completion percentage is below 60%. He's started 56 NFL games, winning just 21 of them. 

However, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell – like many before him – believes he can fix Darnold. 

"I think his best football is ahead of him," O'Connell said. Well, Kevin, you better hope his BEST football isn't behind him. Unless you're speaking about his USC days, which might actually be the best football Darnold ever played. 

Of course, O'Connell has to say this. What else is he going to say? He did mention that the team is "evaluating" the players in the NFL Draft (duh) and more than likely they leave the April selection process with another QB. 

It seems, though, that Sam Darnold is Plan A right now, at least for this season, and that should be very, very scary for Minnesota Vikings fans.