Vikings Coach Drops 4-Word Message on Sam Darnold After Season’s End

After a devastating season-ending loss where Sam Darnold did not live up to his regular-season self, Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell gave the young quarterback a final fluff before his potential free agency in March.

In a 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC wild-card round, Darnold turned the ball over twice, resulting in 14 points off turnovers, and was sacked nine times — many of which came as a result of holding the ball too long and trying to recklessly make a play.

Darnold looked flustered for a second straight game after a meltdown in a pivotal regular-season finale against the Detroit Lions. Those two games could have a defining impact on Darnold’s value.

O’Connell pushed back on letting the past two weeks define the 27-year-old’s season but admitted that, ultimately, the Darnold experiment “did not work out.”

“It did not work out in the end,” O’Connell said. “I think Sam would be the first one to tell you, could he have played better tonight? I’m sure he would tell you that he could have. Could I have coached better? I promise you I could have. Could our team have rallied around a play here or there to try to keep that thing competitive? For sure, but the other phase of it for Sam is acknowledging the things that made him a winning quarterback this year, the consistency of the times he had it throughout the year and what that meant for our team.”

Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell Defends Sam Darnold

While Darnold put forth a resume worthy of starting next season, where he lands will be an A-matter topic for the offseason. No matter Darnold’s next destination, O’Connell did not take his efforts for granted.

“I just want to say I think it’s very important we all think about Sam’s body of work. What he was able to do this year when not very many people thought he would even be able to lead a team to 14 wins. Very rare for a quarterback in the first year. In fact, it is rare. Most wins by a first-year quarterback with a team.

“I’m proud of him. I’m proud of really everybody in that locker room, but Sam and the journey him and I went on this year will always be something that’s a special place in my heart for sure,” O’Connell added.

Darnold’s Growth Not Lost on O’Connell

Darnold will get a bad rap for a postseason performance where he looked reckless at times. However, O’Connell said that part of his game should not be maligned.

“Those moments where you’re holding that ball and your reaction is to try to make a play—we can’t talk out of both sides of our mouth because he sure as heck made a lot of plays doing that this year, but I think that’s part of the growth,” O’Connell said.

Darnold posted career highs in nearly every passing category in his first season in Minnesota. He was almost out of the league a season ago as a backup for the San Francisco 49ers but earned a new life in the NFL.

Whether that’s with the Vikings or another team remains to be seen.

“Remember this guy’s 27 years old or whatever he is, and I think he has a foundation now of both the things you do at the quarterback position to have success and the things that sometimes you have to learn the hard way. You talk to some of the greatest players that ever played the game at that position, and they all had learning moments throughout their journey,” O’Connell said.

“I think Sam will take a lot of positive out of this year, and I think he’ll look like we all will. Very much inward, what’s the next step and what’s the next phase for him to find that consistency. I’m going to do the same thing and I still feel there’s so many ways I could be better for this team. (I’m) so fortunate to have this group, this coaching staff, and that’s what we’re going to do.”