Overreaction Monday: Sam Darnold’s breakout should make Vikings consider unthinkable move

Among the many surprises the young NFL season has provided so far, arguably none have been as surprising as the reinvention of Sam Darnold with the Minnesota Vikings. The former No. 3 overall pick once seemed destined to be best remembered as a meme template, but he's found new life under Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell, tearing up the league and helping lead Minnesota to a perfect 4-0 start.

Darnold was dynamite in the win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 4, showing off the athleticism and arm talent that made him so coveted out of USC while avoiding the back-breaking mistakes that had crippled him as a pro. This version of Darnold, surrounded by this supporting cast and this coaching staff, looks like one of the 10 best passers in the league, someone good enough to make the tough passing-down throws that lead teams to Super Bowls. He also looks good enough to have Minnesota rethinking its long-term plans at the position.

Remember: Darnold was only supposed to be the Vikings' insurance policy, a seat-warmer who would eventually and inevitably give way to top-10 pick J.J. McCarthy. Now, though, McCarthy is sidelined until next season after undergoing knee surgery, and Darnold looks like the sort of passer worth investing in (and the sort of passer other teams would kill to pay on the open market).

Minnesota might not have seen this coming a few months ago, but that's a sunk cost at this point. Things are going too well right now to let Darnold remain a temporary solution, and the best course of action at this point is to anoint him the QB of the present and future — while finding a trade partner for McCarthy.

Sam Darnold breakout should have Vikings shopping J.J. McCarthy

This may seem rash, and in some ways it is; four games is not exactly a robust sample size. But it's not like Darnold has come entirely out of nowhere. There's a reason he was taken third overall once upon a time; the physical ability has always been obvious, and was never the thing that held him back in previous stints with the Jets and Panthers. His partnership with O'Connell seems to have sanded away with rough edges while leaving those strengths intact, and the result is a whole new player — someone the Vikings can win because of, not in spite of.

This offense isn't holding Darnold's hand, and while throwing to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison certainly helps, it's not like we haven't seen other, lesser QBs struggle in the same environment.

(Here's your periodic reminder that, for as fun as it was at the time, Josh Dobbs did eventually flame out in Minnesota, as did guys like Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall. If O'Connell's offense really were as "just add water" as people sometimes want to make it seem, the Vikings wouldn't have had to take McCarthy in the top 10 in the first place. O'Connell and Darnold are a mutually beneficial partnership, one of the league's best playcallers getting to accentuate a talented passer who finally gets to play in front of a decent offensive line and make the sorts of throws he excels at. )

So, if we establish that this version of Darnold (or something close to it) is for real, what should that mean for the Vikings moving forward? It's tempting to place your faith in O'Connell, let Darnold hit the open market this offseason and roll with McCarthy on a far more team-friendly rookie deal. But this Minnesota core is set up to win right now; Brian Flores may well get another head coaching gig before long, Jefferson is in his prime and the offensive line isn't getting any younger. Yes, it will take a chunk out of the team's salary cap, but the extra upside is worth paying for, and there should be a strong enough market for McCarthy that you can pick up some valuable extra draft capital as well.

McCarthy projected as something of a Kirk Cousins clone, a guy who would deliver the ball where and when it should be delivered (albeit with a bit more mobility on the side). Darnold, however, unlocks another level to this offense, one that will be awfully important come playoff time when the going gets tougher and the third-and-longs more frequent. Making the value play, saving the money and going with McCarthy is the prudent thing. These Vikings are good enough to throw prudence out the window and try to win big.