In 2025, the Vikings must move on from the difficult Sam Darnold decision.

The Minnesota Vikings have long been a team on the cusp of greatness, often falling short of reaching their full potential in the NFL playoffs. Over the years, they’ve built a solid roster with star players like Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook, and Harrison Smith, while adding solid pieces on both sides of the ball. However, one position has consistently held the team back from true Super Bowl contention: quarterback.

In 2025, the Vikings are at a crossroads with their quarterback situation, particularly with Sam Darnold on the roster. After several seasons spent bouncing from team to team, Darnold found himself as a member of the Vikings, hoping to revitalize his career. While Darnold has flashed potential at various points in his career, especially during his time with the San Francisco 49ers in 2024, he’s never fully delivered on the promise that made him a former top-3 overall draft pick in 2018. The Minnesota Vikings, in particular, are now faced with a crucial decision: Is it time to move on from Darnold and find a new franchise quarterback to lead the team, or is the organization willing to give him one more shot?

This decision is particularly pressing because Kirk Cousins, despite his consistency and durability over the years, hasn’t been able to elevate the Vikings to the next level. While Cousins is entering the twilight of his career, Darnold represents an opportunity to experiment with a young quarterback who has both upside and significant question marks. However, the Vikings’ ambitions are far greater than simply rebuilding with another high-risk prospect at the position. The decision regarding Darnold’s future with the team must be approached with careful consideration of both his abilities and the direction the franchise wants to go in the coming seasons.

Here’s why, in 2025, the Vikings must ultimately move on from the difficult Sam Darnold decision and find a new quarterback to help lead them into the future.

Sam Darnold’s Career and Inconsistencies

Sam Darnold’s NFL journey has been a roller coaster of highs, lows, and missed opportunities. After being selected as the third overall pick by the New York Jets in 2018, Darnold’s career began with optimism. Many believed that Darnold had the talent and potential to become a franchise quarterback, capable of leading a team to the playoffs and beyond. Unfortunately, his time with the Jets was marked by inconsistency, turnovers, and a lack of stability at the coaching and offensive coordinator positions.

Darnold’s struggles with the Jets were well-documented. He never had the benefit of elite weapons, and the team’s offensive line was consistently below average. Yet, even when given opportunities to thrive, Darnold’s decision-making was erratic, and his inability to elevate his play in crucial moments made him difficult to rely on. By 2021, the Jets had moved on, and Darnold was traded to the Carolina Panthers, where his situation didn’t improve.

Despite some flashes of promise, Darnold failed to establish himself as a consistent starter in Carolina, and the team soon turned to other options. In 2024, the San Francisco 49ers gave Darnold another chance to resurrect his career by signing him as a backup, and he played well in spot duty, even leading the team to a key victory in a regular-season game when starter Brock Purdy went down with an injury.

Now, Darnold finds himself in Minnesota, hoping that a change of scenery will do wonders for his career. However, despite some optimism from Vikings fans and the coaching staff, the reality is that Darnold has shown too many flaws to be the long-term answer at quarterback. Even in 2025, with the Vikings’ talented offensive weapons, it’s unlikely that Darnold can elevate the team to the next level.

Why the Vikings Cannot Afford to Settle for Darnold

The Minnesota Vikings have an incredibly talented roster—Justin Jefferson is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL, Dalvin Cook is one of the most dynamic running backs in the league, and the defense is solid under new defensive coordinator Brian Flores. However, all of this talent will ultimately be wasted unless the team finds a quarterback who can deliver when it matters most.

The Vikings have been in playoff contention year after year with Kirk Cousins, but despite his regular-season success, he has not been able to perform in clutch moments during the postseason. In fact, the Vikings’ inability to advance far into the playoffs with Cousins has become a familiar story. The same question that has surrounded Cousins’ future is now front and center with Darnold: Can he take the Vikings to the next level? The answer, unfortunately, is no.

Darnold’s inconsistency, while somewhat understandable given his turbulent career, does not inspire confidence that he can lead the Vikings to a Super Bowl. His ability to execute the offense on a high level has been far from reliable, and he’s prone to the same issues that have plagued him throughout his career: turnovers, inaccuracy, and an inability to consistently read defenses. In 2025, the Vikings cannot afford to waste another season with a quarterback who has too many question marks, especially when the NFC is as competitive as it is.

With teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys dominating the NFC, the Vikings must find a quarterback who can not only keep up but also elevate the team in high-pressure games. Darnold, despite his flashes of potential, doesn’t seem capable of being that guy. The Vikings’ Super Bowl window is open right now, and they need a quarterback who can seize that opportunity, not one who might need another year—or several—to figure things out.

The Need for a Proven Quarterback

The bottom line for the Vikings is that they need a proven quarterback who can perform in big moments and put them in a position to win a Super Bowl. While the Vikings may have been intrigued by Darnold’s potential when he joined the team, it’s clear now that the team must look to bring in a quarterback who has a history of success and can step into the starting role without hesitation.

Several quarterbacks are set to hit the market or potentially become available in 2025, and the Vikings must be aggressive in pursuing one of them. A potential trade for Aaron Rodgers, a future Hall of Famer with multiple MVP awards, could be an option, though his age and contract would make any deal complicated. Alternatively, the Vikings could explore acquiring a younger, more mobile quarterback with championship aspirations, such as Lamar Jackson, Kirk Cousins (if they decide to trade him), or perhaps Matthew Stafford, who might be looking for a change of scenery after years of toil with the Los Angeles Rams.

A proven quarterback, regardless of age, would give the Vikings the confidence they need to compete with the best teams in the NFC. What the Vikings don’t need is another project quarterback like Darnold, who may never live up to his potential and could hold back a team that is ready to win now.

The Dilemma: Rebuild or Win Now?

As difficult as it may be, the Vikings must make a clear decision in 2025: Do they continue to invest in Sam Darnold as a potential long-term solution, or do they make a move for a proven, championship-caliber quarterback? This decision hinges not just on Darnold’s performance but on the team’s overall aspirations.

The Vikings are too talented and too close to contending for a Super Bowl to waste another year on uncertainty at quarterback. If they decide to stick with Darnold, they risk losing valuable time while the team’s window for contention begins to close. Meanwhile, teams like the Eagles and 49ers will only continue to build on their strengths.

On the other hand, the Vikings can choose to move on from Darnold, make a bold move to acquire a proven quarterback, and position themselves as serious Super Bowl contenders. This would be a difficult decision, but one that would significantly improve their chances of winning in 2025 and beyond.

 Time to Move On

In 2025, the Minnesota Vikings face a critical decision at quarterback. Sam Darnold, despite his potential, has shown enough inconsistency and inability to elevate his game to suggest that he is not the future of the franchise. The Vikings need a quarterback who can lead them to the Super Bowl, and Darnold, unfortunately, doesn’t fit that mold.

The Vikings must make a decisive move—whether it’s acquiring a future Hall of Famer like Aaron Rodgers or pursuing a younger, proven star like Lamar Jackson—to take their team to the next level. The talent is there, but the quarterback situation must be addressed if the Vikings want to win a Super Bowl in the near future. The difficult decision regarding Sam Darnold’s future may be one of the most important choices the franchise makes in the next few years.

For the sake of their championship aspirations, it’s time for the Minnesota Vikings to move on from the Sam Darnold decision and find a quarterback who can help them fulfill their Super Bowl dreams.