The Minnesota Vikings’ 2024 season ended on a whimper with a 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams during Wild Card Weekend. Minnesota’s 14-3 regular-season record was once seen as a driving force behind the Vikings’ success, as it ultimately led to the team’s collapse when it mattered most. was misleading.
Quarterback Sam Darnold had 4,319 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in his career, but he completely slumped in the middle. Darnold completed 53% of his passes after completing 68% of his passes for 8.2 yards in Monday night’s postseason loss in a pivotal Week 18 game against the Detroit Lions for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. He did so, averaging 5.1 yards per attempt. He gained yards per attempt through the first 16 games of the season.
The former No. 3 overall pick is now a free agent, and while he won’t be fully part of the Vikings’ plans, his performance over the past two weeks has cost them millions of dollars. If Darnold is allowed to become a free agent, he is expected to be replaced by former University of Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy, who was the No. 10 overall pick in last year’s draft.
After the Vikings’ loss on Monday night, McCarthy posted an interesting message on social media: “Love.”
“Amor fati” is a Latin word meaning “fated love” or “fated love.” The idea is that we should embrace both the good and bad moments in life as part of the journey, as they are opportunities to learn.
It’s certainly been a strange rookie season for McCarthy. After making his preseason debut by throwing two touchdowns, it was revealed that McCarthy suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee and would miss the entire year. This opened the door for Darnold to take over as the unquestioned QB1, which he developed into January.
Just a few weeks ago, Darnold appeared to have secured his spot as the Vikings’ quarterback of the future. Now, it’s unclear what direction Minnesota will take.
