With all due respect to the stupid (and desperate) NFL team that will eventually give Sam Darnold a Brink’s Truck of money this offseason — I urge you to reconsider. Monday night’s Minnesota Vikings wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams was a microcosm of Darnold’s inherent flaws as a difference-making quarterback. Proceed with caution.

Kevin O'Connell had several explanations for Darnold's brutal playoff loss to the Rams and very few hints about where the QB position is headed.

Darnold is on a one-year contract for $10,000,000 with the Vikings with $8,750,000 guaranteed and an additional signing bonus of $6,250,000. Although his base salary in 2024 was only $2,500,000, he earned a healthy roster bonus of $1,000,000.