The Vikings will decide by 3 p.m. Tuesday whether to place the franchise tag on quarterback Sam Darnold, either for the purpose of bringing him back for the 2025 season or possibly trading him for draft picks in the coming weeks.
The latter scenario is enticing, and certainly one the team has considered. But it’s unlikely because, as sources said at the NFL combine in Indianapolis last week, it comes with its own risks.
One NFC executive, who thought the tag-and-trade was unlikely, pointed out tagging Darnold effectively gives him a no-trade clause, since a new team would want to know whether the quarterback would sign a long-term deal with them before making the trade. It’s possible the Vikings could bring Darnold back on a more team-friendly deal, but since he is viewed as the top free-agent QB in a year with a weak draft class, it seems more likely he’d find a long-term suitor elsewhere. And if they were going to pull off the tag-and-trade scenario, they’d likely want to know they have a deal in place before tagging Darnold.
Here are a few other excerpts from the Access Vikings newsletter, which was originally emailed to subscribers on Friday. You can sign up for the free newsletter here.
• Another NFC coach at the combine thought Daniel Jones might actually be a more likely Week 1 starter for the Vikings than Darnold, if the team wanted to give J.J. McCarthy more time before taking over the job. That scenario would require the Vikings to sign Jones to a new deal in free agency, but unless he finds a clear opportunity to start for another team, he could return to Minnesota on a one-year deal similar to what Darnold did last year. It would give the Vikings more control of the timetable with McCarthy, who is still just 22, and could offer Jones a fuller chance to rehabilitate his career before resuming the pursuit of a long-term deal next year at age 28. Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah last week called Jones “a great option for us.” When adding Jones to the practice squad in November, the Vikings seemed to have an eye toward 2025; they could make him their veteran counterpart to McCarthy if Darnold leaves.
• Sources said coach Kevin O’Connell’s new contract runs through 2029; now that the deal is done, the Vikings will likely turn their attention to new contracts for their coordinators. Both offensive coordinator Wes Phillips and defensive coordinator Brian Flores have contracts expiring after 2025, and could be in line for pay bumps this spring as O’Connell seeks to reward his staff. O’Connell’s deal puts him a year beyond the end of Justin Jefferson’s contract, and a year past McCarthy’s fifth-year option.
• Now that assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski is the Jaguars' new offensive coordinator, the Vikings hired former Saints assistant Jordan Traylor to replace him, a source confirmed Monday night. Udinski had grown particularly close with McCarthy; Traylor figures to work closely with him this year, supporting the coaching McCarthy will get from O’Connell, Phillips and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown. McCown, who interviewed for the Jets’ head coach job this year, could be a strong coaching candidate in future years; Traylor could have the chance to move into a larger role if McCown eventually leaves for a promotion.
