Free agency spells the final reveal of the much-anticipated fate of numerous big-name players across the league. However, none of those players have quite as much anticipation surrounding their future as Minnesota Vikings‘ quarterback,

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.

After being named NFL Coach of the Year on Thursday night, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell continued to praise quarterback Sam Darnold while alluding to the possibility that he’s headed elsewhere in free agency.