Sam Darnold’s shaky finish shouldn’t ruin his impressive season or impact his future. Several NFL teams need a franchise quarterback and Darnold proved he can be that guy in Minnesota, becoming the first quarterback to record 14 wins in his first season with a team.

Quarterback Sam Darnold’s disappointing finish to this Vikings season does not close the door on him returning to the team in 2025. General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah told reporters during Thursday’s season-ending news conference that Darnold is among the “good options” the Vikings have at quarterback moving forward.

The Vikings know when they’ll be on the clock in the 2025 NFL draft. After losing on Monday night to the Rams in the NFC wild-card round, and doing so with the most wins among wild-card losers, the Vikings (14-3) were slotted into the 24th selection.

Nov 24, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) makes a catch over Minnesota Vikings cornerback Shaquill Griffin (1) and after replay is ruled out of bounds on his left foot touching the line during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings had a dream season for 17 weeks of the NFL season. They had winning streaks of 5 and 9 games, and they went into the final game of the regular season with a chance to earn the No.