Former USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold revived his NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings, ultimately leading to Darnold signing a three year contract worth $100.5 million with the Seattle Seahawks during the offseason. Despite Darnold’s success, the former Trojan has not forgotten about those who helped him in Minnesota.
In a recent interview with Clutch Points’ DJ Siddiqi, Darnold revealed that he still talks to some members of the Vikings organization, including Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell.
“You’ve gained trust with everybody, and then all of a sudden you’re gone, but that friendship, those relationships, they don’t just go away. I’ve stayed in contact with quite a few teammates, former teammates in Minnesota, and stayed in touch a little bit with Kevin O’Connell,” said Darnold. “Obviously, he’s got a pretty busy schedule—as do I–obviously getting ready for next year. But it’s been good, just being able to stay in touch with some of those guys.”
Now, Darnold faces a new challenge with the Seahawks.
“The biggest thing for me is to not think about replicating a season like that. I think that’s it’s really starting from square one, what can I do to put myself in a good position every single day to just get better? It’s a cliche, but it’s a cliche for a reason. I’m going to continue to try to get better every single day, as are all my teammates,” Darnold continued.
Although Seattle did not spend a first round pick on a quarterback, the Seahawks did draft former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe as a potential quarterback for the future of the franchise. According to reports, however, Darnold was aware of Seattle’s plans to bring in a rookie quarterback.
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As the former Trojan embarks on the next chapter of his career, he seems to be leaning a bit on the past, understandably. With Darnold under center, the Vikings nearly won the NFC North, falling short to the Detroit Lions. Still, Darnold led Minnesota to the No. 5 seed in the NFC, but the Vikings were promptly eliminated by the Los Angeles Rams and quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Following Minnesota’s early exit from the postseason, Darnold’s and the Vikings’ plan in free agency became one of the bigger storylines of the NFL offseason.
Minnesota drafted former Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he was presumed to be the quarterback of the Vikings’ future. However, McCarthy tore his meniscus during a preseason game against the the Las Vegas Raiders, opening the door for Darnold to start in Minnesota.
After Darnold had a career year, many were wondering whether the Vikings would re-sign Darnold with McCarthy rehabbing from his knee injury. In the end, Minnesota decided to stick with McCarthy, letting Darnold go to Seattle. Even though Darnold is no longer with the Vikings, his relationships in Minnesota have clearly been built to last.
