Matt Bowen wrote this week.
 is presses by Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark (97) during the first quarter of their game Sunday, September 29, 2024 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. © Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.</p>
<p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/USATSI_24359922.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=877,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/USATSI_24359922.jpg” src=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/USATSI_24359922.jpg” alt><figcaption>Minnesota quarterback S. Darnold (14) is pressed by Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark (97) during the first quarter of their game Sunday, September 29, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. © Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.<span></span></figcaption></figure>
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<p>Darnold ranks 11th in the NFL among all qualifying passers, per<a href=)
EPA+CPOE, an efficiency metric measuring expected wins added. He endured a rough game last weekend, but most onlookers expect a reasonable bounceback in Week 11 and beyond.
Jeremy Fowler added about Darnold as the eighth-best free agent on the horizon: “What we’re hearing: Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell has deemed injured rookie J.J. McCarthy (knee) the franchise’s quarterback of the future, which seemingly sets the stage for Darnold to sign elsewhere.”
“But Darnold and Minnesota are 7-2 together, so entertaining a bridge deal while the team continues to develop McCarthy behind the scenes shouldn’t be completely off the table. Darnold’s decision-making on the field down the stretch will determine a lot about his future.”
 prepares to take the snap against the New York Jets in the first half at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.</p>
<p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/darnoldlon.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=625,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/darnoldlon.jpg” src=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/darnoldlon.jpg” alt><figcaption> Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.<span></span></figcaption></figure>
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<p>Surmising Darnold’s landing spots is a little tricky. On the surface, it would seem the teams that need quarterback help aren’t very successful, on the whole. For example, would Darnold really thrive in Las Vegas with the Raiders or with the Tennessee Titans?</p>
<p>He might be best served to latch onto a team head coached by a skipper from the Shanahan coaching tree — like the Los Angeles Rams when Matthew Stafford retires. Otherwise, Darnold could regress to his pre-2024 profile in the wrong system.</p>
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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
