The Las Vegas Raiders will be in the market for a quarterback this offseason. Despite his previous ties to head coach Pete Carroll, it appears that they will not pursue Russell Wilson.
With Chip Kelly hired as offensive coordinator, the Raiders may want to address the position in the draft, given his collegiate history. However, Carroll appears to be intent on swiftly developing a winning team and may not want a rookie or an unimpressive veteran to head the offence.
That could prompt them to look at Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold. He’s about to enter free agency, and it’s unknown whether he’ll return to Minnesota. If not, Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team says the Raiders should offer the quarterback a three-year contract worth $124 million.
It appears unlikely that the Las Vegas Raiders would select Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders at No. 6, according to Mosher’s essay on February 4. “However, with Pete Carroll signed on as the next head coach, it does not appear like he will desire to develop a quarterback. Sam Darnold, who is only 27 years old, has finished his greatest season yet.
“The Raiders will need to surround him with top-tier talent, as the Vikings did, but that shouldn’t be too difficult since Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers are already on the roster. Darnold isn’t the ideal solution for Las Vegas, but he provides a respectable quarterback in a division that includes Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Bo Nix.
Is Sam Darnold worth so much money?
Darnold excelled in 2024. He threw for 35 touchdowns and guided the Vikings to 14 victories. He was one of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks for the majority of the season.
However, he kept his two poorest performances for the two most critical games. He struggled in Week 18 against the Detroit Lions, with the NFC’s top seed on the line, and then performed terribly in the playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams.
It remains to be seen whether he can play quarterback and lead a club to the Super Bowl. $41.3 million per year for a quarterback with question marks might be too much to pay. Darnold at $30 million per year would be much more appealing to a team like the Raiders.
Kevin O’Connell hinted about Darnold’s return.
It’s probable that Darnold may not be available, as Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell stated at the NFL Honours that the quarterback will return next season. However, he eventually retracted his words. “I don’t necessarily think that was 100% accurate,” O’Connell told reporters on Thursday night.
“It was in the spirit of addressing a question about (Darnold’s) season and what he accomplished this year. And then the follow-up about what it will take to win a championship. Look, you all know how I feel about (Darnold).
“He is a man who we identified last year as someone who could come in and succeed, and it didn’t matter where he was before to his arrival; it was all about making the most of our time together. And I believe we did it. I believe (Darnold) had a really special year, and as a result, everyone in our league believes he is a viable starting quarterback who can win a lot of football games. He won 14 of them, so he deserves to be a free agent.
Darnold appears to be staying in Minnesota, but the Vikings may give him the opportunity to test the market.
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