The Minnesota Vikings still have time to place their franchise tag on starting quarterback Sam Darnold, but the expectation coming out of the NFL Scouting Combine is that the team will pass in favor of a cheaper veteran option.

Rising second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy has yet to play a regular season snap after missing his entire rookie campaign due to a knee injury. Sam Darnold stepped in and had the best season of his career, but the last few games when the lights were the brightest yielded mixed results for the veteran.

As a free agent in 2023, Darnold signed with the 49ers having to win the backup quarterback job behind Brock Purdy over Trey Lance. After winning the backup job, he made one start in 10 appearances, getting the lowest playtime of his career.

Among the key questions are where does Minnesota plan to spend its cap space and Dallas Turner's role in 2025.

Sam Darnold was inked to a modest one-year deal last summer, billed as a bridge quarterback to keep the offense afloat until J.J. McCarthy was up to speed. Instead, McCarthy got hurt early in the preseason, thrusting Darnold into an unexpectedly bright ...