Vikings decline franchise tag option for Sam Darnold despite breakout season: report

The Minnesota Vikings are opting against using their franchise tag on quarterback Sam Darnold, ESPN reported. NFL teams had until Tuesday to decide on placing a franchise tag on players. 

Darnold will now be eligible to explore the free agent market when it opens March 12, the official start of the NFL's new league year. The move does not guarantee Darnold's departure because the Vikings have signaled an interest in potentially working toward an agreement on a long-term contract, according to reports.

There are several teams who will likely seek to add an experienced quarterback to their rosters during the free agency period, given that this year's quarterback draft market is widely considered thinner than the 2024 class.

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold looks to throw against the Atlanta Falcons during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. (Matt Krohn/Imagn Images)

The franchise tag is a lever a team can use each offseason to keep a key player on an expiring contract from leaving while buying time for further evaluation of a long-term deal. But that one-year arrangement comes at a steep fixed price based on the top salaries at a player's position. 

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For Darnold, that would’ve been between $35 million and $41 million for 2025, depending on the type of tag.

Darnold led Minnesota to an impressive 14-3 record last season, but the Vikings' brass is eyeing several spots on its roster for upgrades. The team's front office used a first-round pick on quarterback J.J. McCarthy in last year's NFL Draft.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold pauses before answering a question during a news conference after a wild-card playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams Jan. 13, 2025, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Darnold delivered a strong performance in his first season in Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell's offense.

The Vikings have been busy weighing whether it's worth banking on continued progression by Darnold in a second season under O'Connell while McCarthy gets another to watch and learn after spending his rookie year on injured reserve while recovering from a torn meniscus in his right knee.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell and fullback C.J. Ham (right) before a game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis Oct. 20, 2024. (Jeffrey Becker/Imagn Images)

Although Darnold had a breakout regular season, his performance in the playoffs raised concerns. The Los Angeles Rams cruised to a 27-9 win in their postseason matchup with the Vikings. Darnold was sacked nine times and threw an interception in the game.

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The Vikings would be in line for a compensatory draft pick in 2026 if Darnold were to sign elsewhere this year.

"I’ve had great dialogue with Sam from the time this season ended up until very recently, and I think my relationship with Sam has grown to a point where the respect level is sky-high," O’Connell said last week at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. "Sam is in a position where the NFL thinks he can play quarterback at a high level, so that’s a really good thing. And I feel very proud to be a part of helping him get to this point. We’ll see kind of where it goes from here."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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