Vikings, NFL Fans React to Sam Darnold’s Meltdown vs. Rams

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Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold during a 2025 Wild Card Weekend loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold seemed to have raised his stock to the top of free agency in the offseason, however, a meteoric meltdown by Darnold resulted in a 27-9 season-ending loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the NFC playoffs.

While Darnold completed 13 of 16 pass attempts for 113 yards in the first half, the Rams frazzled him, sacking the Vikings quarterback six times, including a 57-yard fumble return touchdown, and forcing an interception that led to another touchdown off turnovers to close the first half with a 24-3 lead.

How to fumble away $160 Million Dollars: a Sam Darnold story

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Vikings and NFL fans alike poured in with reactions on social media to Darnold’s devastating end to the season after what seemed like a career renaissance run of 14 wins in the regular season.

Vikings, NFL Fans React to Future-Defining Meltdown From Sam Darnold

During the game, Sports Illustrated’s Will Ragatz detailed the stakes Darnold faced with his future on the line in the postseason.

The Vikings have a decision to either recapture the success of the 2024 season by renewing Darnold’s contract or move onto the unknown with J.J. McCarthy, who they drafted 10th overall in last year’s draft.

“This game isn’t over yet, but it’s looking pretty clearly like the Vikings can’t give Sam Darnold a big contract this offseason,” Ragatz wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “This looks like a team that needs to roll with McCarthy and invest its cap space in the trenches.”

Another scenario the Vikings could entertain is franchise tagging Darnold and finding a trade suitor. However, that plan took a bit of a hit given Darnold’s collapse in the playoffs.

Once deemed the No. 1 free agent of the 2025 offseason and considered a candidate to push for a $50 million contract, Darnold’s performance left Fox Sports’ Emmanuel Acho pointing to the obvious.

“In 60 minutes, Sam Darnold is losing all the money he made himself the last 6 months,” Acho wrote.

The financial stakes of the game were a poking point for many fans needing catharsis on Monday night.

The game was a revisitation of Darnold’s “seeing ghosts” comment from his dark days in New York.

Coming off a poor performance against the Detroit Lions, Darnold struggling in back-to-back games was a painful first for fans who had seen him play consistently well for the majority of the season.

While the Vikings’ quarterback questions will persist this next year, the answer seems simpler in the epicenter of a difficult two-week stretch from Darnold.

Vikings’ Future is Bright

While the Vikings’ season came to a disappointing end, they exceeded expectations and then some.

Considering to be in a rebuilding year, Minnesota was picked to finish last in the NFC North. Oddsmakers set the Vikings’ over-under win total at 6.5 wins.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell coached up Darnold and a Vikings team that carried over $68 million in dead cap into the season after moving on from Kirk Cousins.

While Monday night’s loss has made the season feel like fool’s gold, Minnesota’s future is bright.

The Vikings have a coach who has coaxed 13-plus win seasons out of Cousins and Darnold. They also have over $70 million in cap space to spend in the offseason and a first-round pick.

And they have several options at quarterback, including the 21-year-old McCarthy who O’Connell drafted to fit the mold of the team’s offense for the next four years.

Calls for McCarthy will echo through the offseason, but the Vikings do not need to rush after proving they have a playoff-ready roster a year ahead of schedule.