It took him seven years to become an overnight success.
Sam Darnold, the Vikings quarterback who led the team to an unexpected 3-0 start (including wins over two teams that reached the Final Eight a year ago), has finally arrived. And he becomes a prime example of the reality of how some teams and situations can ruin young quarterbacks. And after the first destination fails, it leaves a scarlet letter that takes years to remove.
The topic came up when I spoke with Darnold after Sunday’s 34-7 win over the Texans. Does he think a young quarterback like himself will be disqualified anytime soon? He said the media has a right to have an opinion on that. I asked Darnold for his opinion.
โI think for me, Iโm just taking it one day at a time,โ Darnold said. “I’m not going to sit here and say that I feel one way or the other. For me, it’s just being on my feet, understanding the situation at hand, getting out there and taking things one step at a time. I think we just have to keep taking it one play at a time.โ
That way of thinking is working well for him. The past doesn’t matter. The future is JJ McCarthy. Darnold believes he needs to live in the moment and make the most of the fact that the NFL ship has finally arrived. Mainly because his feet finally got to a place where blockers, tailbacks, receivers, and the planets aligned for him. Defense and coaching have made him better than ever.
On Sunday, his feet will be at Lambeau Field against a very good Packers team that also reached the final eight in 2023. And his feet will take a plane across the Atlantic and land where he will arrive. The team that ruined his early days gets a chance to show they wasted their chance to acquire a potential franchise quarterback.