The Vikings entered that Week 18 game at Detroit riding a nine-game winning streak. Darnold had just landed his first career Pro Bowl nod. His Vikings stood one win away from clin

Sam Darnold is set to hit free agency in March after leading the Minnesota Vikings to a surprising 14–3 record and a playoff berth in 2024. The Vikings could either let him walk or bring him back on a new contract or the franchise tag, which would be a one-year deal worth an estimated $42.4 million.

Darnold is set to be a free agent after completing the one-year deal he signed with Minnesota last March. General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said during his Tuesday press conference at the scouting combine that the club is still discussing how to proceed with Darnold — with the franchise tag one possibility.

Darnold put together his best seasons as a quarterback with the Vikings. He threw for 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while amassing 4319 yards on a 66 percent completion percentage. All of that paints a sparkling picture, but the last two games of the season likely tanked Darnold’s value.

A former commodities trader, Adofo-Mensah is in no rush to make a final decision on Darnold. The Vikings have until March 2 to franchise tag Darnold, which could be done as part of a trade or simply as a one-year, $40 million retread with the first-time Pro Bowl quarterback.

The No. 1 question facing the Raiders in the offseason is who will be the starting quarterback for the 2025 NFL season?

Houston oddly restructured Diggs' deal right after trading for him, allowing him to become a free agent this year. Unfortunately for Diggs, he tore his ACL in Week 8. That injury, coupled with his age (he'll turn 32 in November) makes him a risky signing despite his productive past.

The NFL salary cap will be between $277.5 million and $281.5 million for the 2025 season, rising as much as $26 million from last year.