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Minnesota Vikings' Sam Darnold Earns Comeback Player Of The Year Honors, Pro Bowl Appearance

Former USC Trojans and current Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was honored with two Comeback Player of the Year honors and appeared in his first Pro Bowl. Now a free agent, Darnold is set to begin his new journey on a high note.

Kyron Samuels

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws the ball against the Los Angeles Rams during their playoff game at State Farm Stadium on Jan. 13, 2025, in Glendale.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws the ball against the Los Angeles Rams during their playoff game at State Farm Stadium on Jan. 13, 2025, in Glendale. / Joseph Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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It was an eventful week for former USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold. To start off, Darnold was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year by The Sporting News & NFL on Fox.

Darnold competed in his first Pro Bowl Games representing the Minnesota Vikings to bring the day to a close. It was the culmination of a career-defining season that Darnold has been yearning for his entire career. With potential free agency impending, Darnold’s future status is unknown, but for the moment, that’s on the back burner.

The Sporting News NFL Awards are unique as they’re voted on by over 800 players, coaches, and league executives from the National Football League. Even more so than the NFL Top 100 or the Associated Press All-Pro teams, this is the most accurate representation of what the league thinks about the top players in the sport. For a vast selection of his peers and front office personnel to vote him as the Comeback Player of the Year speaks to the respect this season of play commanded.

According to Sporting News, Darnold received 503 votes and won by a sizable margin over Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow who was the next closest with only 144 votes. Darnold became the second Minnesota Viking player to win the award after running back Adrian Peterson. Unsurprisingly, Darnold became the seventh-consecutive quarterback to take home the award. 

Darnold amassed 4,319 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 7.9 yards per attempt, 66.2 completion percentage, and a 102.5 passer rating over the 2024 season while leading the Minnesota Vikings to the playoff with a 14-3 record, which was the second-most regular-season victories in Vikings’ franchise history. 

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Additionally, Sam Darnold was named the NFL on Fox’s 2024 Comeback Player of the Year, an award voted for by the fans of the NFL. Darnold not only won over the NFL world, he won over the fans of the sport as well. It’s hard to change perception after being labeled a bust or failure, but Darnold’s perseverance and constant pursuit of improvement have paid off not only on the field but also in the public eye. A career’s worth of work behind the scenes has finally yielded results. 

Lastly, Darnold was named to his first Pro Bowl for the NFC and had a fun showing in the games on Thursday night. The Vikings signal-caller had a second-place finish in the throwing competition, where he hit a record six-consecutive targets, and helped the NFC to a victory in the games. 

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Kyron Samuels
KYRON SAMUELS

Kyron Samuels is a former college and professional football player now a writer, analyst, & digital host. Kyron is a writer for USC Trojans on SI and contributes to Oregon Ducks on SI. A graduate and letterman at Jacksonville State University, Samuels was a three-year starter, two-time all-conference, and won three consecutive conference titles. After a four-year professional stint between the AFL & XFL, Samuels retired from football. In 2022, Samuels was inducted into the Fairhope Athletic Hall of Fame. Post-playing career, Samuels has become a credentialed sports media member covering the NFL, UFL, USFL, & college football. The NFL Combine, Reese’s Senior Bowl, & East-West Shrine Bowl are amongst the events Kyron has covered. As a guest and host, Samuels has been featured on ESPNRadio, FoxSportsRadio, & IHeartRadio. Outside of sports media, Samuels works as a scouting consultant and has experience coaching at the collegiate level.

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