There was so much hope among Minnesota Vikings fans at the beginning of the 2025 season for their team to make a Super Bowl run after a 14-3 record in 2024. It turned out the quarterback who led them to that record one year prior is now one win away from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in a Seattle Seahawks uniform.
Vikings fans will be watching Super Bowl LX as the Seahawks face the New England Patriots with a lot of envy, as Seattle will be led by former Minnesota starting quarterback Sam Darnold. For many fans in the Minneapolis area, they wished he were doing that for the Vikings, but instead have to endure the fact that Minnesota screwed up last offseason.
That's a feeling Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson expressed when he spoke to USA Today about his former quarterback. Despite feeling some kind of way about it, Jefferson confessed what all Vikings fans won't say, but will do: cheer for Darnold to win it all.
"It's definitely tough. It's tough to watch. I love that he's in the Super Bowl. I'm happy for him, I want nothing but the best for him, especially the way his journey was at first, people doubting him and people not giving him the respect. Now they're giving him the respect. Now they're seeing that hes' a top-tier quarterback in this league. Of course, selfishly I wish he had done that for us last year, but to see him blossom and bounce back right after last year and make it this year, I'm happy for him and I hope he wins. I'm rooting for Seattle and I think Seattle's gonna win. I'll be rooting for him."
Justin Jefferson said exactly how Minnesota Vikings fans feel about quarterback Sam Darnold
During the 2025 offseason, the Vikings chose not to go with Darnold as their quarterback, opting instead to bring back Daniel Jones, but had to settle for J.J. McCarthy jumping into the starting lineup in his second NFL season. Darnold ended up signing with Seattle after a successful season, while Jones went to the Indianapolis Colts as their starter, going 8-5.
As for the Vikings, they had McCarthy, and it was mixed results as he had one of the worst first six starts in NFL history, but ended up going 6-4 as the starting quarterback in his first full year as the starter. The damage was already done as McCarthy missed seven games, and Minnesota also missed the playoffs at 9-8.
While the domino effect was just beginning, the disappointing 2025 season led Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to seek employment elsewhere after four years. It has also started a conversation about the Vikings bringing in competition for McCarthy in the 2026 season.
Watching Super Bowl LX will be a bittersweet experience for the Vikings fan base. On the one hand, all Vikings fans would love to see Darnold win it because he deserves it, but on the other hand, his winning it would vindicate the problems the Minnesota franchise has had for decades, with mistakes costing them a real shot at winning the Super Bowl.