It’s now being reported that the Vikings won’t use the franchise tag on Darnold to keep him one more year, which was expected to be the most-likely path to them retaining the quarterback. However, that also doesn’t mean the team is ready to let him go — with negotiations ongoing about whether there’s a way to retain the QB moving forward.

For a while there, it appeared that Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold had done enough to secure a long-term place in Minnesota with coach Kevin O'Connell. Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 record this year, throwing for 4,319 yards with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, plus a quarterback rating of 102.5.

The Minnesota Vikings can't get over how their 2024 season ended, and it's tough to blame them. Minnesots was riding high entering the final week of the regular