Sam Darnold's career-best season with Vikings sputters to close - ESPN

GLENDALE, Arizona — Sam Darnold's dream season crashed during the past two weeks. It happened so quickly, in fact, that Darnold seemed unwilling to process its implications in the moments after the Minnesota Vikings' 27-9 wild-card playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night.

«Obviously,» Darnold said, «at the end of the day all that matters when you have a good season is, 'What do you do in the playoffs?' We didn't get it done today and that's all that matters.»

Darnold seemed to have resurrected his career this season after signing a one-year contract with the Vikings and leading them to 14 wins, while throwing for a career-high 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns. After the Vikings' Week 17 victory over the Green Bay Packers, teammates hoisted him on their shoulders in a symbolic celebration of his season.

Since that moment, however, Darnold regressed to some of the levels that cost him his jobs with the New York Jets in 2020 and Carolina Panthers in 2022. In losses over the past eight days to the Rams and Detroit Lions, he threw a combined 23 off-target throws, according to ESPN Research, and took a total of 11 sacks — including nine Monday night.

Where he once seemed on track for the Vikings to re-sign him or at least use their franchise tag to retain him for 2025, Darnold now heads toward free agency with his future as unsettled as ever.

«I'll have a lot of time after this to think about what the season entailed,» Darnold said, «but to be honest I'm just thinking about today and what I could have done better.»

All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson acknowledged the uncertainty and declined Monday night to weigh in on the Vikings' looming decision. Jefferson compared the situation to the one the Vikings faced last