Kevin O'Connell may have just tipped the Vikings' hand when it comes to Sam Darnold decision

The Minnesota Vikings' magical 2024 season came to a rather disappointing conclusion, but that doesn't take away from the improbable accomplishment of winning 14 games with Sam Darnold under center.

Darnold was a backup quarterback last season. Folks were actively wondering if the former Top-3 pick might end up out of the league before long. Now he's due for a significant payday after a prolific, Pro Bowl campaign for the Vikings. He was undoubtedly in a favorable position — that Vikings offense is loaded — but it takes a certain caliber of quarterback to win 14 games and throw for 4,319 yards. That level of success goes beyond a great coach or an explosive WR room.

The unexpected productivity of Darnold leaves the Vikings at a crossroads. The initial plan was for Darnold to act as a bridge quarterback until rookie J.J. McCarthy was up to speed. Then McCarthy hurt his knee, missed the entire season, and watched Darnold have a career year at age 27. That isn't exactly old, especially not for a quarterback, so one has to think Darnold has plenty left in the tank.

Minnesota can just let Darnold leave in free agency and embark on the McCarthy era, undeterred. All the buzz around McCarthy is positive. He clearly has fans in the building. The other semi-reasonable option is to tag Darnold, keep him locked up for one more year, and just see how the QB room develops. The third, more disruptive option, is to re-sign Darnold to a proper four or five-year deal and invest in him unequivocally as the Vikings' present and future at quarterback.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell might have just laid bare his preferences at his Coach of the Year press conference.

Kevin O'Connell sure sounds like he wants Sam Darnold on the Vikings long term

"Our goal is to win a championship and Sam Darnold is going to be a huge part of it when we do it," O'Connell told reporters when accepting the highest honor an individual coach can receive.

We can not deny O'Connell's influence in the Vikings' organization. He has established himself as one of the NFL's very best football minds. Minnesota's best path to Super Bowl contention runs through O'Connell. If he thinks the Vikings' best bet is to ride with Darnold, the front office will have a tough time saying no.

O'Connell did try to walk back his statement later on, understanding the need for a more political and ambiguous response ahead of free agency. He expressed his admiration for Darnold, but also emphasized the depth of Minnesota's QB room and the need to evaluate all options.

One has to think O'Connell meant what he said in the heat of the moment, though. You don't say "Sam Darnold will be part of us winning Super Bowls" without feeling it deep down. That is a potentially costly slip of the tongue, but it does unambiguously lay out what O'Connell believes.

Darnold endured some long-gestating skepticism after Minnesota's late-season flop. Matthew Stafford comfortably outgunned him in the Wild Card round, but Stafford has been that dude for a while. Small slumps happen, 14-win seasons don't. Not without the requisite talent. Darnold's spring-loaded arm is well tailored to this Vikings offense. He was among the most productive quarterbacks in the NFL last season. It's hard to turn around and replace him with an unknown commodity, even one as highly-touted as McCarthy.

If Minnesota does commit to Darnold, McCarthy should return a nice haul on the trade market. He's quite possibly a better "prospect" than any of the quarterbacks available in the 2025 NFL Draft, so the Vikings would be well compensated for their decision to stick with Darnold.

There are several factors at play here, including how strongly other teams come after Darnold and where his price point eventually lands, but the Vikings are clearly open to a reunion. At least, their head coach is.