Vikings agree to one-year, $10 million deal with 49ers QB Sam Darnold

Less than 12 hours after Kirk Cousins agreed to a deal with the Falcons, the Vikings reached a deal with the quarterback they were eyeing as his replacement.

They agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract with 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold, sources confirmed early Tuesday. The deal will reunite Darnold -- the third overall pick in the 2018 draft -- with Josh McCown, his former Jets teammate who’s now the Vikings quarterbacks coach. It also would give the Vikings a veteran quarterback who could compete for the starting job as they search for a long-term answer at the position.

Darnold last started more than 10 games in a season for the Panthers in 2021, and posted a 4-2 record in Carolina’s final six games of the 2022 season after taking over for Baker Mayfield and P.J. Walker. He played 10 games for the 49ers in 2023, with his only start coming in the regular-season finale against the Rams after San Francisco had clinched the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

Sam Darnold’s career statistics

Darnold formed a relationship with McCown when the Jets kept the then-39-year-old McCown to mentor the rookie Darnold in 2018, and worked with Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski when both were in Carolina in 2021.

For his career, the former USC quarterback has a 21-35 record as a starter, having thrown 63 touchdowns against 56 interceptions in 66 games while completing 59.7% of his passes. The Vikings still have Nick Mullens under contract, and bring back Jaren Hall for a second season as they scout the rookie QBs they could take with the 11th overall pick in April’s draft. Darnold, largely by virtue of his three years as the Jets’ starter, becomes the most experienced NFL quarterback on the Vikings’ roster.