Vikings decline franchise tag option for Sam Darnold despite breakout season: report

The Minnesota Vikings are opting against utilizing their franchise tag connected backmost Sam Darnold, ESPN reported. NFL teams had until Tuesday to determine connected placing a franchise tag connected players. 

Darnold volition present beryllium eligible to research the escaped cause marketplace erstwhile it opens March 12, the authoritative commencement of the NFL's caller league year. The determination does not warrant Darnold's departure due to the fact that the Vikings person signaled an involvement successful perchance moving toward an statement connected a semipermanent contract, according to reports.

There are respective teams who volition apt question to adhd an experienced backmost to their rosters during the escaped bureau period, fixed that this year's backmost draught marketplace is wide considered thinner than the 2024 class.

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Minnesota Vikings backmost Sam Darnold looks to propulsion against the Atlanta Falcons during the 2nd 4th astatine U.S. Bank Stadium. (Matt Krohn/Imagn Images)

The franchise tag is simply a lever a squad tin usage each offseason to support a cardinal subordinate connected an expiring declaration from leaving portion buying clip for further valuation of a semipermanent deal. But that one-year statement comes astatine a steep fixed terms based connected the apical salaries astatine a player's position. 

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For Darnold, that would’ve been betwixt $35 cardinal and $41 cardinal for 2025, depending connected the benignant of tag.

Darnold led Minnesota to an awesome 14-3 grounds past season, but the Vikings' brass is eyeing respective spots connected its roster for upgrades. The team's beforehand bureau utilized a first-round prime connected backmost J.J. McCarthy successful past year's NFL Draft.

Minnesota Vikings backmost Sam Darnold pauses earlier answering a question during a quality league aft a wild-card playoff crippled against the Los Angeles Rams Jan. 13, 2025, successful Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Darnold delivered a beardown show successful his archetypal play successful Vikings caput manager Kevin O'Connell's offense.

The Vikings person been engaged weighing whether it's worthy banking connected continued progression by Darnold successful a 2nd play nether O'Connell portion McCarthy gets different to ticker and larn aft spending his rookie twelvemonth connected injured reserve portion recovering from a torn meniscus successful his close knee.

Minnesota Vikings backmost Sam Darnold (14) and Minnesota Vikings caput manager Kevin O'Connell and fullback C.J. Ham (right) earlier a crippled against the Detroit Lions astatine U.S. Bank Stadium successful Minneapolis Oct. 20, 2024. (Jeffrey Becker/Imagn Images)

Although Darnold had a breakout regular season, his show successful the playoffs raised concerns. The Los Angeles Rams cruised to a 27-9 triumph successful their postseason matchup with the Vikings. Darnold was sacked 9 times and threw an interception successful the game.

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The Vikings would beryllium successful enactment for a compensatory draught prime successful 2026 if Darnold were to motion elsewhere this year.

"I’ve had large dialog with Sam from the clip this play ended up until precise recently, and I deliberation my narration with Sam has grown to a constituent wherever the respect level is sky-high," O’Connell said past week astatine the NFL scouting harvester successful Indianapolis. "Sam is successful a presumption wherever the NFL thinks helium tin play backmost astatine a precocious level, truthful that’s a truly bully thing. And I consciousness precise arrogant to beryllium a portion of helping him get to this point. We’ll spot benignant of wherever it goes from here."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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