NFL News: Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell sends resounding message to Sam Darnold after loss vs Rams

The Minnesota Vikings‘ dream of going deep in the 2024 NFL postseason came to an end with a 9-27 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round. Head coach Kevin O’Connell was analytical about his team’s performance, but pointed to the level of quarterback Sam Darnold.

While a 14-3 regular season with Darnold as the starting QB was one of the surprises of the league, tough losses in the final two games to the Detroit Lions and Rams made it clear that Minnesota lacked the quality to compete for a Super Bowl.

Darnold found success filling in for the injured JJ McCarthy with the Vikings after the rookie, the No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft, suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee that sidelined him for an extended period of time. In that context, O’Connell appreciates Darnold’s effort.

O’Connell’s clear message to Darnold

“It did not work out in the end, and I think Sam would be the first one to tell you, could he have played better tonight? I’m sure he would tell you he could have. Could I have coached better? I’m positive I could have. I just want to say it’s very important we all think about Sam’s body of work, what he was able to do this year, when not many people thought he would be able to lead a team to 14 wins,” declared O’Connell about Darnold’s performance in the 2024 NFL season.

Kevin O’Connell, the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings

Despite the praise, and O’Connell saying Darnold has a “special place” in his heart, the 27-year-old quarterback has been pressured on the field the past two games and the head coach has reacted to what he has shown on the field. “Far too many negatives. Really, over the last two weeks, too many negative plays that set you behind,” O’Connell declared.

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Will Darnold stay with the Vikings?

The Vikings’ offseason has just begun and Minnesota will have to resolve the Darnold situation. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback will be a free agent after playing on a one-year, $10 million contract. After the loss to the Rams and with McCarthy’s recovery in the future, the 27-year-old’s status is unknown.