The Vikings’ Sam Darnold era may not be a lengthy one, but it’s the right step for both sides

The Vikings introduced their new quarterback at a news conference Thursday, and it carried the aura of being a guest at a hasty wedding at a chapel along the Vegas strip.

Yes, technically it’s a marriage, but there is strong suspicion this union won’t last long.

Sam Darnold has experienced enough in his NFL career to know better than to make any bold projections right out of the chute. He used the phrase “great opportunity” multiple times in describing his one-year contract after joining his fourth team in five years.

Darnold deviated from the script only briefly when he joked that he forgot to wear his sunglasses, a friendly poke at new running back Aaron Jones seated to his right in shades.

That’s as close to Kirko Chainz as things got.

“Coming here with an open mind,” Darnold said of his new home.

That pretty much sums up the entire situation as the Vikings move forward without Kirk Cousins. As of now, in mid-March, Darnold is the presumptive starter in 2024, but that could all change by the end of training camp.

General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah waved off the “bridge” label attached to Darnold’s free-agent signing.

“I’m not going to call him a bridge quarterback,” he said. “He’s a quarterback that’s on our roster under contract for a year.”

OK, then a stopgap quarterback. Or placeholder.

In a perfect world, coach Kevin O’Connell unlocks something in Darnold that has prevented him from performing at the level the New York Jets anticipated when drafting him No. 3 overall in 2018.

O’Connell said he expects the coaching staff and entire team “will wrap our arms around him,” while noting there will be competition for the starting job.

“No matter what happens,” Darnold said, “I’m going to compete.”

This is strange and unsettled territory for the Vikings after six seasons of Cousins as their quarterback. No team wants uncertainty at quarterback. And even though O’Connell relished his close relationship with Cousins and is now entering a crucial Year 3 of his tenure with a quarterback room consisting of Darnold, Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall and possibly a rookie, the coach acknowledged that “the right thing moving forward for our team is where we are today.”

That statement is correct. And to that extent, O’Connell and his staff must pour every ounce of their acumen into helping Darnold succeed, because the league doesn’t pause while teams sort out their quarterback situation.

The Vikings hope that a season spent as a backup for the San Francisco 49ers under coach Kyle Shanahan in 2023 served as a positive influence on Darnold as he attempts to find his footing as an NFL starter.

“His excitement and urgency throughout this process is going to be seen and felt by all,” O’Connell said.

The infrastructure surrounding Darnold with the coaching staff and talent at skill positions is more than he could ask for in a career reboot.

“This business gets pretty crazy and hectic fast,” Darnold said. “If you’re not consistent with your attitude day in and day out, you can get chewed up and spit out quick. That’s the biggest thing that I’ve learned.”

Cousins’ departure creates a fresh slate for both the organization and Darnold. Adofo-Mensah said the uncertainty at quarterback doesn’t lock him into drafting a quarterback in April. But that sounded an awful lot like a poker bluff.