7 other backup quarterback options for the Vikings to consider for 2022
By Adam Patrick
Sam Darnold
- Current Status: Under contract with the Carolina Panthers
Currently, Sam Darnold is in a battle with Baker Mayfield to be the starting quarterback of the Panthers. However, Mayfield already appears to have the edge to win the job after the first few weeks of Carolina’s training camp.
So where does that leave Darnold? Well, Carolina will probably try to trade him before the start of the regular season if he’s not going to be their starting quarterback.
To get a team to agree to take him off their hands though, the Panthers will likely have to eat some of, if not the majority of, the $18.9 million that he’s owed this year.
With the Vikings currently estimated to have around $10 million in cap space, Carolina would need to eat more than half of the money Darnold is owed in order for Minnesota to take the young quarterback off of the Panthers’ hands.
Some Vikings fans might want nothing to do with the former No. 3 overall draft pick. But Darnold would easily be a much better backup option for Minnesota during the upcoming season than Sean Mannion or Kellen Mond.