Vikings Rumored Destination for Former Top 5 Pick as Possible Sam Darnold Replacement

The Minnesota Vikings are coming off of a 14-3 regular season that ended with a road loss to the NFC North champion Detroit Lions. 

The loss cost coach Kevin O'Connell's team a chance at the number one overall seed, coinciding with uneven play at the quarterback position from starting quarterback Sam Darnold.

As the Vikings prepare to welcome a healthy JJ McCarthy to the team's 2025 starting quarterback race, NFL analysts have begun projecting whether or not Darnold will be replaced this offseason.

One future candidate for the position could be a former top two overall pick with a strong arm and underrated athleticism who could provide a spark for the team if healthy. 

Carson Wentz, the Kansas City Chiefs' free agent and former number two overall pick from 2016's NFL draft, could fill in for Darnold if the Vikings decide to move on, according to Zack Rosenblatt from The Athletic. 

"If Jones doesn't get a starting shot elsewhere I think he'll return to the Vikings as a potential stopgap until McCarthy is ready," Rosenblatt wrote.

"But if not him, I still anticipate the Vikings adding a playable veteran at the position," he added, floating the names of Wentz and former 49ers star Jimmy Garoppolo. 

"I went with Wentz because, to me, he fits the Darnold mold of a former highly drafted quarterback seeking redemption." 

Wentz compiled 118 passing yards with the Chiefs last season and last played a full 17-game season in 2021 with the Indianapolis Colts, when he threw for over 3,500 yards.