Sam Darnold
27-Year-Old
2024 Pass/Rush Stats
YDS
1111
TD
11
INT
4
YDS
61
TD
0
Rest-of-Season Projections
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Darnold signed a one-year deal with the Vikings shortly after Kirk Cousins jumped ship for Atlanta. J.J. McCarthy is Minnesota's QB of the future, but the rookie's season-ending meniscus surgery in August leaves Darnold unchallenged atop the depth chart. Darnold spent last season as the backup to Brock Purdy in San Francisco, where he started one game and finished the season with an unimpressive 6.5 YPA and 60.9 completion percentage -- pretty much in line with his career averages. Darnold at least has excellent weapons to target in wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson, though the latter is coming back from a late-season ACL tear. Free-agent RB Aaron Jones should also help the passing game, but his presence may encourage coach Kevin O'Connell to run the ball more often this season after ranking third in pass percentage last year (63.3). Darnold has never been skilled at throwing deep, and the Vikings gained just 42.8 percent of their passing yards after the catch last season, the lowest rate in the league. Darnold won't add more than 15-20 yards per game on the ground, potentially limiting his fantasy value to two-QB leagues even if Jefferson and Addison help him put up better-than-usual passing numbers. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Shaky in victory
Darnold completed 14 of 31 passes for 179 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in Sunday's 23-17 win over the Jets. He also rushed five times for 11 yards and lost a fumble.
ANALYSIS
Darnold experienced significant struggles for the first time this season, as he combined to complete only nine of his 22 passes to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. There were several potential explanations for the down performance, as the Jets are a tough defensive matchup and Darnold also suffered an apparent chest injury midway through the first quarter that caused him to miss one play. In addition, the Vikings jumped ahead early, causing the offense to limit its aggressiveness for much of the game. Darnold will have a chance to rest from any lingering soreness as Minnesota will head into a Week 6 bye.
Darnold experienced significant struggles for the first time this season, as he combined to complete only nine of his 22 passes to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. There were several potential explanations for the down performance, as the Jets are a tough defensive matchup and Darnold also suffered an apparent chest injury midway through the first quarter that caused him to miss one play. In addition, the Vikings jumped ahead early, causing the offense to limit its aggressiveness for much of the game. Darnold will have a chance to rest from any lingering soreness as Minnesota will head into a Week 6 bye.
NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do Sam Darnold's 2024 advanced stats compare to other quarterbacks?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank.
The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
Bad Pass %
21.2%Avg Target Depth
10.3 YdsSack Rate
9.3%Avg Receiver YAC
5.3 YdsReceiver Drop %
2.2%Loading Advanced NFL Stats...
2024
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2024 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
2024 Sam Darnold Split Stats
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Measurables Review
View College Player Page
How do Sam Darnold's measurables compare to other quarterbacks?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 3"Weight
225 lbs40-Yard Dash
4.85 secShuttle Time
4.40 secCone Drill
6.96 secVertical Jump
26.5 inBroad Jump
105 inHand Length
9.38 inArm Length
31.00 in
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
Darnold started the final six games for the Panthers last season after first losing the starting job to Baker Mayfield in training camp and then suffering an ankle injury that kept him out two months. While he threw only three interceptions, he wasn’t accurate. His 65.0 on-target percentage ranked 38th of 40 QBs with at least 140 attempts, and his 58.6 completion percentage was 36th. He signed a one-year deal with the 49ers this offseason to compete with Trey Lance while Brock Purdy recovers from elbow surgery. Should Darnold get snaps, he’ll have more talent around him than he’s ever had before in his career. He can at least dump the ball off and let the 49ers’ playmakers gobble up yards after the catch, as they did last year when they led the league with 6.6 YAC per reception. Darnold is also a capable scrambler, good for about 15-20 yards per game, potentially giving him value in two-QB leagues if he ends up making starts for a loaded Niners team.
More Fantasy News
Overcomes turnovers in win
Darnold completed 20 of 28 passes for 275 yards with three touchdowns and one interception and added seven carries for 15 yards in the Vikings' 31-29 win over the Packers on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.
ANALYSIS
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Puts in full practice
Darnold (knee) was a full participant at Wednesday's walkthrough.
ANALYSIS
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Not expected to miss time
The Vikings announced Monday that Darnold sustained a bone bruise to his left knee during Sunday's 34-7 win over the Texans and is not expected to miss any time, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
ANALYSIS
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Getting knee checked out Monday
Darnold confirmed that he will undergo an MRI on his left knee after he missed one play in the third quarter of the Vikings' 34-7 win over the Texans on Sunday, when he took a low hit from Houston's Danielle Hunter, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports. He completed 17 of 28 pass attempts for 181 yards and four touchdowns and no interceptions in the victory.
ANALYSIS
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Ties career high with four TDs
Darnold completed 17 of 28 passes for 181 yards and four touchdowns in Sunday's 34-7 win over the Texans.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Avoids serious injury
Darnold isn't expected to miss any time after suffering a knee injury in Sunday's win over the Texans, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
ANALYSIS
The quarterback was sent for an MRI after the game, but no structural damage was detected, and he was diagnosed with only a bruised knee. Darnold has been outstanding so far for the 3-0 Vikings, completing 67.9 percent of his passes through three games with 8.4 yards per attempt and an 8:2 TD:INT. Should the knee injury prove to be more serious than expected, Nick Mullens would be the next man up for Minnesota under center.
The quarterback was sent for an MRI after the game, but no structural damage was detected, and he was diagnosed with only a bruised knee. Darnold has been outstanding so far for the 3-0 Vikings, completing 67.9 percent of his passes through three games with 8.4 yards per attempt and an 8:2 TD:INT. Should the knee injury prove to be more serious than expected, Nick Mullens would be the next man up for Minnesota under center.