Sam Darnold has Kirk Cousins to blame for Vikings contract drama

Just last offseason, the Minnesota Vikings had to make a critical decision on the future of their incumbent quarterback, Kirk Cousins. Rather than re-sign Cousins to one of the more lucrative quarterback contracts in the league, they opted to let him walk. Well all know what happened next, as Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons.

Cousins has not played up to par in Atlanta, with some fans even calling for his benching. Cousins is just a year removed from a season-ending knee injury, so his struggles cannot all be blamed on him. But still, this is the job he signed up for. The Falcons feature first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. behind Cousins, which isn't helping matters.

Kirk Cousins didn't do Sam Darnold any favors with the Vikings

Ironically enough, the Vikings aren't in an entirely different position. Minnesota signed Sam Darnold as a stopgap starter until their own first-round QB, JJ McCarthy, is ready to play. Yet, McCarthy suffered his own season-ending injury in the preseason, and Darnold has performed like a Pro Bowl-level talent.

This has complicated things for Minnesota and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Extending Darnold now would be costly, and they can forget about matching any offer what's sure to be a QB-friendly free agent market. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, an in-season deal between Minnesota and Darnold is unlikely.

"Despite the success he had had replacing Kirk Cousins, whom he is facing off against today, Sam Darnold and the Vikings have not had any discussions regarding a long-term contract, per sources. Darnold is scheduled to be a free agent after this season," Schefter wrote on X.

Sam Darnold's success shouldn't alter the Vikings QB plans

The Vikings gave Darnold a chance to start again and for that he will always be grateful. Kevin O'Connell has proven he can get the best of broken quarterbacks with talent. Darnold and Josh Dobbs can both attest to this. Minnesota signed Daniel Jones just last week, a signal-caller who fits that same mold.

The Vikings have a plan. Darnold's immediate success made for a quick detour, but it doesn't alter the final destination. McCarthy should be healthy next season, and he'll be far cheaper than Darnold. So would Jones if they believe he can play a similar role. Darnold, meanwhile, could be the best QB available in free agency, much like Cousins was deemed this past offseason.

Just look how that turned out. Minnesota knows what it has to do, even if it's an unpopular move in the moment.