Like Wilson, Darnold struggled during his first few seasons in the NFL after being picked in the first round by the New York Jets.

The San Francisco 49ers have been predicted to hand out a major long-term deal to a 25-year-old star this winter.

It’s a near-lock that the Giants will draft a quarterback this year. They haven’t drafted one since Daniel Jones in 2019, so they’re overdue to take the bat off their shoulder. But it’s possible they don’t take a quarterback with the No. 3 pick, which I believe is the premise of your question.

Sam Darnold was headed toward a big-money contract in free agency after a career year with the Minnesota Vikings—until his breakout season imploded in spectacular fashion.

Darnold was named to his first Pro Bowl this season after leading the Vikings to a 14–3 record. He completed 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, all career-high marks. The 27-year-old also hit career highs in passer rating (102.5) and QBR (60.7).

The Pittsburgh Steelers could've targeted the perfect long-term QB this offseason... until Sam Darnold's untimely postseason dud for the Minnesota Vikings.

When the lights got the brightest, Sam Darnold reverted to his ghost-seeing ways. And that makes it a lot easier to allow Darnold to become a free agent and to move forward with 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy.

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox put together a list of the top 50 free agents this offseason, and topping his list was Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold. Knox then listed ... 102.5. He earned his first career Pro Bowl selection as a result.