Sam Darnold was one of the NFL's best quarterbacks under pressure and elsewhere until everything fell apart over the last two weeks. What on Earth happened?

Minnesota was intrigued with Darnold after he spent time learning from 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, one of the league’s best offensive minds. Kevin O’Connell built on that, helping get Darnold selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time.

The best way for Darnold to obtain stability and build a legacy in Minnesota immediately is to have playoff success. If Darnold has an uneven playoff performance and it coincides with a Vikings early exit, it’s fair to presume he’ll venture on a new journey this offseason.

What a difference a couple of weeks make. The Minnesota Vikings went from a Super Bowl contending, 14-game winner playing for the NFC North title with the conference's No. 1 seed and a wild-card bye on the line -- before Week 18's 31-9 defeat by the Detroit Lions -- to an early playoff exit because of a 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams .

The poll predicted Darnold will be the quarterback of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025. Although they have yet to hire a head coach, the Raiders will be in the mix because they have the money to acquire Darnold.

The Minnesota Vikings are expected to consider replacing Sam Darnold with former New York Giants starting QB Daniel Jones.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young provided us with one of the very best stories of the 2024 campaign. But was it, by rule, a comeback story? The finalists for the Associated Press' Comeback Player of the Year award were officially announced on

The Minnesota Vikings got an exceptional year from Sam Darnold and he's starting to win awards for his performance.

Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold's post on social media ahead of free agency drew widespread reactions from NFL fans. The post Vikings QB Sam Darnold Makes Announcement Amid Uncertain Future appeared first on Heavy Sports.