The Minnesota Vikings were caught between a rock and a hard place this off-season. It was clear to most people that former starting quarterback Kirk Cousins wouldn’t be back with the team. He was an impending free agent in his mid-30s coming off a serious injury, and looking for a major payday. It just was never in the cards for him to return under the circumstances.
But what were the Vikings going to do at quarterback in his absence? They seemingly hadn’t prepared very well for life after Cousins, and they were left with either the prospect of throwing a rookie quarterback into the fire immediately or signing a re-tread in hopes he could provide a bridge to the young quarterback.
The Vikings opted for the second route and signed former New York Jets first-round pick Sam Darnold. According to Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report, that decision is already one of the biggest steals of the offseason.
Moton recently identified eight players who already look like free agency steals in training camp, and among them is the much-maligned quarterback. Darnold—at least so far in Vikings camp—has been performing well and showing folks that, while he may never live up to the position he was drafted at, he can be a serviceable quarterback in this league.
That’s all the Vikings need. Minnesota just barely missed out on a playoff berth last season, with the trio of Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall, and Joshua Dobbs starting games for them. If Darnold can provide the team with slightly more production — or, at the very least, fewer drive-killing turnovers — the Vikings have a chance to be playoff contenders this season.
Getting that from a quarterback making just $10 million– especially in today’s quarterback market- qualifies as a steal.