NFL Rumors: Sam Darnold return, Mike Vrabel dark horse, Lions Super Bowl return

One week from now, players across the league will either be lacing up their cleats for a postseason run or packing their sandals for an offseason getaway.

Regardless, questions about the future continue to linger around nearly every team as they prepare for the final week of the 2024 regular season. For some teams, it’s become apparent that sweeping changes will be made to the coaching staff. throughout 

It’s become apparent that some teams will make sweeping changes to their coaching staff. For others, there is uncertainty around the direction of the roster — particularly at the quarterback position. Playoff teams will also have to navigate roster decisions, injuries and replacing pilfered coaches. 

Sam Darnold could return to the Vikings

When a team has questions at the quarterback position, it’s typically because the incumbent starter played poorly. The Minnesota Vikings are the rare exception. The Vikings signed quarterback Sam Darnold to serve as a stopgap starter while they developed rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Instead, McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason, and Darnold has led the Vikings to a 14-2 record.

The veteran’s unexpected success puts Minnesota in a difficult position — they’ll have to decide whether or not they want to bring Darnold back in 2025. During an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer discussed the possibility of the Vikings bringing both quarterbacks back for the 2025 season.

“They think very highly of [Darnold],” Breer said. “One of the things, in talking with Kevin O’Connell over the last couple of months, when I’ve had a chance to talk with him about it, that he’s emphasized is people need to stop looking at Sam Darnold as if the other shoe is about to drop. And people need to stop looking at him and letting their feelings on him from the [New York] Jets and [Carolina] Panthers weigh them down, and just recognize this is a really good player who is talented enough to once go third overall and maybe was a victim of his circumstances when he was younger. So, they view him as a viable option going forward. Now, the question is, how do you do that?”

Breer suggested the Vikings could follow an a blueprint laid out by the Los Angeles Chargers nearly 20 years ago. The Chargers selected quarterback Philip Rivers in the 2004 NFL Draft to replace incumbent starter Drew Brees. The veteran quarterback beat Rivers in a quarterback competition during training camp and went on to have a Pro Bowl season, and the Chargers kept both quarterbacks the following season. Rivers ultimately took over the starting role after Brees suffered an injury in 2005.

“You look at it and you say, ‘We owe it to the guys on this roster,’” Breer said. “Like if [safety] Harrison Smith is going to be back next year, [wide receiver] Justin Jefferson will obviously be there. Guys who have given so much to this place. We owe it to these guys to give them the shot to be at our very best at the quarterback position, and that means bringing both guys back. And that means having both Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy back, and that’s a good problem to have.”

Mike Vrabel could be Giants head coach next season

The New York Giants have been one of the worst teams in the league this season, and their appearance on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series only humiliated them further for parting ways with running back Saquon Barkley.

Giants owner John Mara typically doesn’t prefer constant turnover, but the team has struggled to find stability ever since the departure of Tom Coughlin. New York had four different head coaches since the 2016 season, and current head coach Brian Daboll is the only one to make it to a third season. Still, Daboll is likely on his way out after notching his second straight season with a losing record. 

As New York looks ahead to a potential head coaching change in the offseason, Breer suggested the Giants could be a contender to land former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. 

“They’re another sneaky Vrabel team,” Breer said. “I’d throw the Raiders in there. A lot of people think he’s going to the Raiders, but the Giants, I think, would be a sneaky Vrabel team as well.”

Breer believes Vrabel’s pick for general manager would be Ryan Cowden, who is currently the Giants’ executive advisor to the general manager. Cowden served as the Titans vice president of player personnel and interim general manager during Vrabel’s head coaching stint in Tennessee. Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen was also the defensive coordinator under Vrabel’s coaching staff with the Titans. 

Aiden Hutchinson still has faith in returning for Lions’ Super Bowl 

Early in the season, the Detroit Lions appeared to be the league’s most well-rounded team. They had an explosive offense, an opportunistic defense, and a special teams unit that generated game-changing plays.

Although the Lions currently hold the NFC’s top seed with a 14-2 record, injuries have threatened to derail their Super Bowl aspirations. Perhaps the team’s biggest loss was defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who suffered a devastating leg injury during a 47-9 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5.

Although Hutchinson’s broken fibula was initially believed to be a season-ending injury, he has held out hope to return for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. During an appearance on “The Squeeze” podcast, Hutchinson was asked about whether he still believes he could be ready to play by February.

“I take it one day at a time," Hutchinson said. "But if [the Lions] make it or not, that is something I cling onto every day to push me through rehab, and push me to make me stronger and faster, and get this leg back as fast as possible. So that’s the goal, and I know I’m going to be back. How I see it, there’s no other option because I already know when I’m back in that Super Bowl, the amount of people I’ll inspire, is just going to outweigh anything. To me, there’s no other way. That’s how it’s gotta be.”

The third-year pass rusher appeared to be on track for NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors through the first month of the season. He led the league with 7.5 sacks through five games, while recording 19 tackles, one forced fumble, seven tackles for loss, and 17 quarterback hits. Those staggering numbers would have put Hutchinson on pace to shatter the single-season record with 26 sacks over 17 games. Although that production likely wouldn’t have been sustainable over the course of a season, Hutchinson certainly would make a significant impact on Detroit’s struggling defense. 

The former first-round pick was the heart and soul of Detroit’s defense, and he had an ability to make disruptive plays against the pass and the run. If the Lions make the Super Bowl, Hutchinson’s return could lift them to their first Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.