The Minnesota Vikings might have reason to reconsider letting Sam Darnold walk as the Matthew Stafford trade rumors continue to gain traction. The last thing they would want is to see Darnold land in Los Angeles as Stafford’s replacement.
Darnold with Sean McVay could end up being what keeps the Vikings from ever going on a deep playoff run. And the Vikings would be kicking themselves, especially if J.J. McCarthy doesn’t pan out to be as good as they hoped while coming back from a serious knee injury.
Of course, this is all speculative. There’s no guarantee the Vikings let Darnold go, the Rams let Stafford go and the Rams look to Darnold to be his replacement. But it’s something the Vikings have to consider as they decide what they ultimately want to do with Darnold.
The Los Angeles Rams might already be eyeing Matthew Stafford replacement as trade rumors amplify
The Los Angeles Rams were precisely 10 yards away from hosting an NFC Championship Game in a season in which very few expected them to go on a playoff run. Since his arrival, Stafford has done everything he was brought from Detroit to do.
The Rams aren’t going to let him walk without having his replacement lined up. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve locked in on Darnold as the future of their offense. And if they do, chances are that whether they move on from Stafford or not is contingent on how the Vikings move forward.
If the Vikings decide to go with the franchise tag on Darnold, the Rams will probably hold off on Stafford or stand firm on getting a first-round pick for him so they can draft his replacement. Or maybe they get greedy and ask for a first- and a second-rounder to take a player like Jaxson Dart in the second round and get more weapons with a first-round pick.
It just feels like the Rams aren’t going to force Stafford out. It would make more sense to re-work his contract and use Cooper Kupp to find another serviceable piece on offense. Which is why the Vikings should tread lightly.
I see both sides of keeping Darnold and letting him go. But the one thing you don’t want to do is let a player go and watch him thrive elsewhere and your team regress. If the Rams are serious about Darnold, then that could happen to Minnesota, as McVay would be the perfect coach to continue the ascension that began under former Rams protege Kevin O'Connell.
It would feel like an epic failure to let him go for free and end up regressing. They have to consider that as they look at the next steps in 2025.