His preseason torn meniscus scuttled those plans and Darnold went on to have a great and surprising year. There are no guarantees that Darnold would be able to repeat his success in 2025, and if the Vikings were to bring him back, his $10 million salary would likely rise to the $35-40 million level.

Although Sam Darnold played well last season in his lone year as the starting quarterback, the Minnesota Viking already have a blueprint in place for what they are going to do. It is why Darnold has played his last down for the NFC North franchise.