The Sam Darnold Bridge. When the Vikings signed him as an unrestricted free agent on March 13, that’s all they expected from their quarterback – a bridge from Kirk Cousins to a future first-round starter, eventually J.J. McCarthy.
But through four weeks, Darnold looks more like London’s majestic Tower Bridge covering the River Thames than a plank crossing a Minnesota creek. Now, he’s the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for one of the league’s two undefeated teams, and one step closer to punctuating an absurd comeback story with an MVP award.
Darnold, who leads the NFL in touchdown passes (11) and passer rating (118.9), explained Wednesday that his mechanics under unabashedly aggressive head coach Kevin O’Connell have contributed significantly to his success.
“We always talk about it, tying the feet in with the eyes but being able to do it subtly and being able to move in the pocket, but not move too much,” Darnold said. “To be able to move enough to be able to get away from the defender but, again, not sliding or moving too much or more than I have to. So, just being subtle, being subtle in the pocket and just going throughout my reads.”
Darnold’s play has been anything but subtle, especially in a Week 3 win over Houston. He has the Vikings off to their best start since they opened 5-0 in 2016. But more than that, he’s playing better than he ever did at the dawn of his career with the New York Jets (2-2), the team he’ll face at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday (9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network).
“Yeah, I mean I’m not really thinking about that, to be honest. A lot of new faces over there,” said Darnold, drafted by the Jets third overall in 2018. “I still know a few players over there but I’m sure before the game, maybe after the game, seeing some of the people that I’ve built really good relationships with, really good relationships with.”
New York traded Darnold to the Panthers before the 2021 season. He signed with San Francisco last year before coming to Minnesota. Darnold is Minnesota’s first Offensive Player of the Month since Justin Jefferson in November of 2022.