It’s far too early to say Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold has redefined his NFL career, but after a 2-0 start — including an upset of San Francisco last Sunday — the onetime USC star is definitely on a different trajectory. Darnold, once the third overall pick of the New York Jets, has struggled to find his comfort zone since being drafted in 2018. He bounced from the Jets to Carolina to the 49ers, and finally this season to the Vikings, currently the only undefeated team in the NFC North.
“It’s awesome to be able to have a coach and staff that believes in you,” Darnold said, referring to Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell . “But he doesn’t just believe in me, he believes in the entire team and the entire offense to be able to go out there and execute.” It’s a small sample size, and the Vikings will get another test Sunday against the 2-0 Houston Texans, but it’s an encouraging start for Darnold.
True, he got off to a 3-0 start with the Panthers in 2021 before going 1-8 in the remainder of his starts. This feels different. “We feel in our offense with the players around Sam can lead to him having a lot of success,” O’Connell told reporters this week.
“The vision for him started before he got here and really has been something we have worked towards every single day.” Darnold is among a handful of quarterbacks refashioning their reputations this season, including Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield and New Orleans’ Derek Carr , both of whom ar.