Sam Darnold got a green-and-gold nudge to join the Vikings this offseason.
Not that Darnold, the 27-year-old quarterback, needed help picking a place to resurrect his NFL career. He wanted his next offense to offer smart game plans, a cohesive coaching staff and ample talent — all infrequently found in his previous stops.
Many people in Darnold’s inner circle wanted him to pick the Vikings. But none were as vocal as a Green Bay Packers fan from his native Southern California who happens to be one of Darnold’s best friends.
“Because he knows the [Vikings] organization well, watching twice a year and having to battle those years for playoff contention and whatnot for the division,” Darnold told the Minnesota Star Tribune. “He’s the one who’s continually texting me like, ‘Man, I’m wishing you the best of luck, not two games of the season, but I’m wishing you the best of luck.’ ”
“He was excited to maybe go to a couple of free Packers games,” Darnold quipped.
The Vikings front office, too, thought their team was a perfect setup for Darnold. General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah bet $10 million over a one-year deal that Darnold, whose record comes with many losses (a 21-35 record as a starter) and turnovers (56 interceptions to 63 touchdowns), can turn around his career like Baker Mayfield and Geno Smith before him given the right culture, coaching and surrounding talent.
Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell are not alone in thinking Darnold has more to offer in the right setting.
“So often in the league we correlate, offense is good, the quarterback is good,” said ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky, an NFL quarterback from 2005-17. “But it’s the most dependent position in all of pro sports. It’s really hard to play that position well unless you have three things going for you.”
