This year looks a bit light on franchise tag candidates, but the Vikings do have the most significant decision to make before the March 4 tag deadline.
Sam Darnold has come up as a player the team will consider tagging, despite his tough finish to his debut Minnesota season, and J.J. McCarthy‘s recovery timeline stands to factor into the Vikings’ decision. McCarthy has undergone two surgeries after suffering a meniscus tear in the preseason. While plenty of time remains between now and Week 1, last year’s No. 10 overall pick looks to have a ways to go in his recovery.
[RELATED: Byron Murphy Seeking Significant Raise In Free Agency]
McCarthy still has “significant” work to do in terms of rebuilding his body after the injury, according to the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora, whose recent conversations with a number of NFL execs point to the NFC North team protecting itself before the tag deadline. The Vikings should not be expected to let Darnold hit free agency, La Canfora notes. This would take the top QB option off the market, but given the Vikes’ situation, it would be understandable if they sought high-priced insurance.
The Vikings have been in talks with Darnold, who would be eligible to speak with other teams beginning March 10 when the legal tampering period starts. Darnold’s best financial play would probably be hitting the market and signing with a starter-needy team, one that would be ready to authorize multiple guaranteed years on a contract that would be expected to top $30MM per annum. The Baker Mayfield price range came up for Darnold recently; Darnold’s ex-Panthers teammate re-signed with the Buccaneers for three years and $100MM just before free agency last year.
While Minnesota could take this route in an effort to avoid a $40MM-plus cap hold clogging its payroll due to a franchise tag, McCarthy’s presence represents a rather notable difference between this situation and the one Tampa Bay navigated in 2024. Darnold also could conceivably be leery of re-signing on a multiyear deal due to McCarthy’s presence. McCarthy’s rookie contract can run through 2028 via the fifth-year option, and while a report after Week 17 — a critical juncture on the Darnold Minnesota timeline, due to his struggles in the two games that followed — indicated teams would call the Vikes on McCarthy. No indications have emerged suggesting the Vikings would entertain trading a player around whom they centered their 2024 offseason.
If McCarthy does need to take major steps forward in terms of rehab and acclimating to the NFL, the Vikings keeping Darnold — after a breakthrough season that produced a 14-3 record, an original-ballot Pro Bowl nod and a Kevin O’Connell Coach of the Year honor — would make sense regardless of cost. Minnesota is projected to carry more than $58MM in cap space. While a Darnold tag would throw a wrench into the Vikings’ ability to retain free agents Byron Murphy, Camryn Bynum and Aaron Jones, prioritizing a quarterback would stand to supersede retaining starters elsewhere.
Though, the Vikings are coming off a season in which they saw a $10MM QB make a stunning leap. A second Darnold year also cuts into Minnesota’s ability to build around McCarthy’s rookie contract. O’Connell also elevated Kirk Cousins‘ play, and the team also worked with Daniel Jones for nearly two months to close the season. Jones would be a less expensive option, in the event the Vikings decide a Darnold franchise tag would be too pricey.
Of course, teams have the choice of two tags to use each year. The lesser-used transition tag would be an interesting play, as our Nikhil Mehta suggested earlier this month. The lower-cost tag has since come up around the NFL as a potential option, according to Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero.
Whereas OverTheCap projects the QB franchise tag to eclipse $41MM, it predicts the transition tag value to check in south of $36MM. That might not be enough of a difference to risk losing Darnold for no compensation, as the franchise tag still calls for two first-round picks to come back in the event of an unmatched offer sheet. But a transition tag also would give the Vikings five days to match any offer, effectively handcuffing the team that submitted the proposal at a time when key free agents will come off the board.
Darnold, 27, represents the top QB domino this year. The Vikings’ call during the tag window (Feb. 18-March 4) will determine if he is available. If a tag takes the seven-year vet out of the equation, teams would need to pivot. Jones, Cousins, Justin Fields, Russell Wilson and, if he intends to keep playing, Aaron Rodgers will be the other top veterans to monitor as bridge options (at worst) in a scenario in which Darnold stays in Minnesota.
lol…headline is hilarious. content even better. the most off-the-mark “rumor” yet. they have many holes to fill with the cap space. resigning a qb who can’t throw a 7 yard slant is laughable
Get ready Viking fans for people’s heads to explode if they invest a lot into Darnold while having McCarthy…-Sincerely, a Falcons fan lol
Lol
JJ looked like a very thin kid when they showed him on sidelines in either Lions game or playoff one. He didn’t have the body of a football player.
Yes…he looked like a pimple faced wimpy kid…out of football shape for sure….
Tag Darnold
Trade for picks
Bring in Rodgers as stop gap to McCarthy
Rodger continues to follow Brett Farves career trajectory after flaming out in NYJ Rodgers gets revitalized under O Connell in Minnesota
Or hear me out. Do not touch Rodgers with a 180ft pole.
Pick one scenario, you can’t conceivably do multiple lame options.
That is one scenario. Was multiple (2) things happening too confusing for you or something?
Tag and trade Darnold
Sign Rodgers
That’s one scenario
Another scenario would be
Tag and trade Darnold
Resign Jones and give him a chance
That’s another one scenario
How was that confusing for you?
If you franchise tag him he gets a no-trade clause, so that’s both a risky option and one that won’t yield much in return since the player basically drives the trade negotiations.
He doesn’t get a no trade clause.
The dude signed a 1 year 10 mill contract cause he flamed out with Jets Panthers and had to go back up Purdy for a year.
He doesn’t have a no trade clause anywhere close attached to the 1 year 10 mill he signed last off season.
If he accepts the franchise tag he will have a no trade clause.
Kwesi only has 4 picks in the upcoming draft (1st, 3rd, and 2 5ths) so unless he trades future picks for picks this year, he’s in a tough spot. On the other hand, $58 mill cap space will be cut in half (or more) if he signs Darnold. Ain’t my team, but it will be fun to watch.
All I have to say is this…Darnold has no history of being consistent or good. The other shoe will be dropping. Remember Case Keenum??
Sam Bradford is probably sitting by a phone somewhere so the Vikings don’t have to panic just yet.
Still convinced Daniel Jones and not Sam Darnold will be the Vikes’ 2025 security blanket.
This is pretty much their plan.
This reporting is just to leverage Sam’s value once they tag him.
I’m not seeing how a tag and trade would work given Minny’s situation.
Darnold doesn’t have to sign the tender right away, and Minny can’t afford to wait b/c of Murphy’s free agency and Gilmore’s retirement. It also eats into their cap; they have to have a cap plan if/when he signs.
So Darnold can steer to the team he wants to be traded to because Minny needs the process to be fast.
Clearly you don’t know who the Vikings capologist is… Rob Brzezinski.
There are plenty of contracts that can be extended for players that are worth it and deserve it. Greenard, ginkster, oniell to name a few.
The tags happen before free agency starts and the Vikings aren’t going to do it unless they have a Good idea of who is trading for him. If they don’t do it, there were no suitors.
Clearly you have no idea how the tender works.
They’d have to get Darnold to agree to the tag and trade. He pretty much can nix any trade by not signing the tender.
Maybe they did that. We‘ll see.
My point is that other contracts can be manipulated to open up other cap space. Along with the fact that they aren’t going to risk it without having plans in place stemming from conversations in mobile.
Not no suitors just not one offering anything worth it. Every “big name” that goes through this gets offers. Hypocritical Scenario the Giants call up MN over a 7th this year and a conditional 6th next year. There is your suitor. MN ignores the giants and keeps looking does not find anything better and decides the comp pick next year is better.
I know it’s not going to happen, but it would be hilarious if the Vikes brought back Cousins on the Falcons’ dime.
Not impossible. Great back up for $2 million or a decent starter if required.
You have very poor information. JJ is ready to go per everyone in the Minnesota management and media. Now will he play well? Who knows. As well he has dropped a lot of weight since he arrived in Minnesota. But he does not have ” A long ways to go” that is just poor reporting with little or no basis.
It’s called leverage. May be empty leverage but attempted subterfuge non the less.