3 teams that should regret not making a bigger push for Sam Darnold in free agency

The Minnesota Vikings were seemingly in quarterback purgatory after Kirk Cousins departed for the Atlanta Falcons in free agency. While it was no secret that the Vikings were planning on drafting a quarterback in the first round, they needed to bring in a veteran signal caller. Enter Sam Darnold.

Darnold was summoned to be the Week 1 starter, and it was solidified after rookie J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason. No one could have believed Darnold being the best quarterback in the NFL through the first three weeks of the season.

On Sunday, the Vikings blew out the Houston Texans 34-7 to improve to 3-0 on the season. Darnold completed 17-of-28 pass attempts for 181 yards and four touchdowns. This comes even after suffering an injury scare after getting his leg rolled up on. But all appears to be well for Darnold, who returned to the game quickly.

Darnold entered a favorable situation in Minnesota, with the likes of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison to throw to, and a rock solid offensive line. But Darnold's success should have teams questioning why they didn't pursue the 2018 first round pick harder this offseason. Here are teams who should reget not signing Darnold to a contract.

3 teams who should regret not signing Sam Darnold this offseason

3. Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders moved on from the short-lived Josh McDaniels era and pivoted to Antonio Pierce as head coach. The team surprised plenty down the stretch, including picking up a late season win over the Kansas City Chiefs. While the Raiders fought for Pierce, there was still uncertainty at quarterback.

With Aidan O'Connell on the roster, the Raiders signed journeyman quarterback Gardner Minshew. From there, it appeared evident that the Raiders would try to trade up to land a quarterback prospect. However, they were unlucky, as six quarterbacks were selected before the Raiders were on the clock with the No. 13 overall pick.

While it's still very early in the season, and Minshew has led the team to an upset win over the Baltimore Ravens, how much can this really carry on? Let's not forget that the AFC West has gotten tougher, especially after the Denver Broncos picked up their first win of the season in Week 3 at the expense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

2. Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns made their bed and they are lying in it with quarterback Deshaun Watson. Despite legal issues, the Browns traded numerous draft picks and paid Watson a $210 million, fully-guaranteed contract in 2023. Thus far, Watson isn't living up to the money being given to him.

In Week 3, the Browns took on the lowly New York Giants. After taking a 7-0 lead in the first 11 seconds of the game, Watson was unable to build off the momentum. Instead, he was sacked at will, missed wide-open receivers, and turned the ball over a lot.

Watson had three opportunities gift-wrapped to him by the Giants to take a lead late in the fourth quarter. Instead, Watson fumbled a handoff on the first drive, and went four and out on their next two drives to secure th 21-15 loss.

Yes, the Browns did bring in Jameis Winston to back up Watson, but who knows how well he could play for Cleveland. Just look at how Darnold is playing, and he makes an obvious missed opportunity for them. Not to mention, they passed on him in the 2018 NFL Draft in favor of Baker Mayfield, who they traded away after acquiring Watson, and is now thriving with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That's rough.

1. Tennessee Titans

There is no team perhaps more ready to study the quarterback prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class than the Tennessee Titans. The team moved on from Ryan Tannehill after last season and instead decided to run things with Will Levis as the starter.

This season, however, Levis has been nothing short of a disaster for the Titans. Levis didn't look comfortable in either of Tennessee's first two games of the season, and has made some bone-headed throws to force plays.

On Sunday, the Titans took on the Green Bay Packers and former draft pick Malik Willis, who got the start at quarterback for the injured Jordan Love. This summer, the Titans willingly traded Willis to the Packers, putting trust in Levis to run things and Mason Rudolph to back him up.

Levis threw for 260 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions while completing 26-of-34 pass attempts. Levis was also sacked a staggering eight times for a loss of 56 yards. Meanwhile Willis shined for Green Bay, throwing for 202 yards and a touchdown (13-of-19 on pass attempts) while running for 73 yards and one touchdown on six carries.

That certainly couldn't have made the Titans feel good, watching their former quarterback lead his new team to a win at their expense. Maye with a quarterback like Darnold, the Titans would have fared better to start the season, instead of spiraling into first-overall pick territory.