Report: Sam Darnold, Jimmy Garoppolo are 'options' for Vikings
The million-dollar question in Minnesota is who will be playing quarterback in 2024 now that Kirk Cousins plays for the Atlanta Falcons.
Two names to watch, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, are Sam Darnold and Jimmy Garoppolo "are among their options." Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, meanwhile, says Darnold is weighing offers between the Vikings and Broncos.
Darnold, 26, was the third overall pick in 2018 and hasn’t lived up to the hype after spending five seasons with the lowly Jets and Panthers and then backing up Brock Purdy in San Francisco this past season.
Garoppolo is 41-20 in his career as a starter and spent 2023 with the Raiders, going 3-3 in six starts while passing for seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. He was released in February after the Raiders learned that he will be suspended the first two games of the 2024 season for violating the league's performance enhancing drugs policy.
Both are free agents and could hypothetically sign inexpensive deals and serve as a leader in 2024 who could also help mentor a rookie quarterback the Vikings take in the draft.
"Our approach heading into free agency always included layers of contingencies regarding the quarterback position. We are moving forward with plans that allow us to continue building a roster that can compete for a championship,” Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said shortly after Cousins’ agent confirmed the four-year deal with Atlanta.
Competing for a championship would mean finding a quarterback that can help Minnesota win in 2024. Unless that quarterback is a player in the upcoming NFL Draft, the available names in free agency and on the trade market outside of Darnold and Garoppolo are dwindling.
Gardner Minshew is going to the Raiders, Jacoby Brissett is signing with the Patriots, which could lead to Joe Flacco’s return in Cleveland, according to Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot.
Justin Fields and Zach Wilson may be available via trades, and Minnesota has previously been said to be interested in Wilson. Ryan Tannehill, Jameis Winston, Tyrod Taylor and Drew Lock are also free agents.
Vikings free agency tracker: Day 1 reports, rumors, live updates
Title: Bring Me The Sports co-owner, editor Email: joe@bringmethenews.com Twitter: @JoeBMTN Education: Southwest Minnesota State University Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota Expertise: All things Minnesota sports Nelson has covered Minnesota sports for two decades, starting his media career in sports radio. He worked at small market Minnesota stations in Marshall and St. Cloud before joining one of the nation's highest-rated sports stations, KFAN-FM 100.3 in the Twin Cities. There, he was the producer of the top-rated mid-morning sports show with Minnesota Vikings announcer Paul Allen. His radio experience helped blossom a career as a sports writer, joining Minneapolis-based Bring Me The News in 2011. Nelson and Adam Uren became co-owners of Bring Me The News in 2018 and have since more than tripled the site's traffic and launched Bring Me The Sports in cooperation with the Sports Illustrated/FanNation umbrella. Nelson has covered the Super Bowl and numerous training camps, NFL combines, the MLB All-Star Game and Minnesota playoff games, in addition to the day-to-day happenings on and off the field of play. Nelson also has extensive knowledge of non-sports subjects, including news and weather. He works closely with Bring Me The News meteorologist Sven Sundgaard to produce a bevy of weather and climate information for Minnesota readers. Nelson helped launch and manage the Bring Me The News Radio Network, which provided more than 50 radio stations around Minnesota with daily news, sports and weather reports from 2011-17.