The knee injury that took Sam Darnold out of the game late in the third quarter was considered minor enough by the Minnesota Vikings for him to come back after missing just one play. The crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium cheered with approval and relief when they saw him jogging back to the huddle.
Having a supportive environment in the NFL can really help a quarterback succeed.
“The fans’ reaction meant everything to me,” said Darnold, who threw four touchdown passes without any turnovers in the Vikings’ 34-7 win over Houston on Sunday. This victory kept them as one of only two unbeaten teams in the NFC. “Just not only that, but my entire time here in Minnesota has been amazing.”
For many in the league and much of the fan base, Darnold’s arrival in free agency didn’t create much excitement. He signed a one-year contract as a fill-in after being a backup for the San Francisco 49ers, who reached the Super Bowl.
Most of the offseason buzz for the Vikings focused on rookie J.J. McCarthy, the 10th pick in the NFL draft, who will have plenty of chances in the coming years to become the exciting young quarterback the franchise needs after six seasons with veteran Kirk Cousins, which only resulted in one playoff win.
Now that McCarthy is recovering from knee surgery, which has pushed back his debut until at least next year, the Vikings are relying heavily on Darnold’s strong right arm. He has a 21-35 career record as a starter from his time with the New York Jets and the Carolina Panthers.
The struggles Darnold faced with those teams contributed to the lukewarm expectations for the Vikings. Preseason odds from BetMGM Sportsbook set their win total at just 6.5.
