Sam Darnold had perhaps the most unlikely season of any NFL quarterback. When training camp began, he was slotted to purgatory on the bench behind rookie QB J.J. McCarthy. 

An injury to McCarthy in the Vikings' first exhibition game ended his rookie season before it began. 

Darnold shocked the world as he led the Vikings to a 5-0 start. After a come-back-to-earth loss to the Lions in Week 6 and the Rams in Week 7, the Vikings won their next 9 games. That forced a showdown against the Lions in the final game of the regular season for the NFC North and the No. 1 spot in the playoffs. 

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The Vikings’ ship then hit an iceberg. In the span of less than of less than 10 days, the Vikings not only lost to the Lions in their regular season finale but were eliminated by the Rams as the No. 5 seed in the playoffs. 

Darnold restored truth to the adage that “you can leave the Jets, but the Jets never leave you” in those two games. In the game against Detroit, Darnold went 18-for-41, throwing for 166 yards. The Rams sacked Darnold 9 times. He fumbled the ball and threw for just 1 TD and a pick in Minnesota’s 27-9 loss. And Jared Verse turned his fumble into a “scoop-and-score.” 

McCarthy is expected back fully healthy this season. So where does that leave Darnold? He could well be a coveted commodity given the lack of available quarterback depth this offseason in both the draft and free agency

Bookies.com Senior Handicapper and NFL analyst Adam Thompson has revealed his NFL odds regarding where Darnold will take his snaps in 2025. providing valuable insights for sports betting enthusiasts looking to wager.

Sam Darnold Next Team Odds - Team-By-Team Analysis 

Here’s a breakdown of some of the potential landing spots for QB Sam Darnold in 2025

Minnesota Vikings +250

Buzz: The Vikings overachieved with Sam Darnold at QB this past season – despite his crash-and-burn in the team’s final 2 games. Until J.J. McCarthy is both fully healthy and able to handle the QB1 spot, Darnold is a solid insurance policy. The Vikings could well put a franchise tag on Darnold. That carries with it a $41 million price tag. That would be close to anything he’d get as a free agent. 

Las Vegas Raiders +350

Buzz: Job 1 for the Raiders and their new coach Pete Carroll is to solidify the quarterback spot for both 2025 and beyond. The Raiders have $95,490,403 in available cap space, via Spotrac. So Darnold could fit easily within their plans.  they need to add on both sides of the ball. The Raiders have 3 QBs on their roster (Aiden O'Connell, Gardner Minshew, and Carter Bradley) who carry just under $9 million dead cap space combined. One of those would likely be QB2 if the Raiders go with Cousins. 

Pittsburgh Steelers +700

Buzz: The Steelers are stuck in their own version of “Groundhog Day.” This year, the Steelers reached the playoffs only to lose their first postseason game. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will be unrestricted free agents come March. Art Rooney says resolving the team’s QB situation is Job 1. The Steelers only have one QB on their current roster (Skylar Thompson) and have $43,288,775 in available cap space for next season. They are carrying no dead cap space on either Wilson or Fields. Darnold’s relative youth gives him an edge in the free-agency market. He could flourish in Pittsburgh. And the Steelers have the cap space to make it happen. The Steelers could use a QB who sticks around for more than 2 seasons. 

New York Giants +800

Buzz: Does Sam Darnold want to return to all that baggage he left in Northern New Jersey after 3 seasons with the Jets? The Giants have the No. 3 pick in the April draft. Depending on how free agency goes, they may or may not need a QB there. Darnold proved that he could be a QB1 on a winning team this past season, even if he crumbled and the Vikings crumbled in the final 2 games. The Giants have the cap space and need for Darnold. But does he want to go to a situation where he’d be in Northern New Jersey with the weight of the Big Apple on his shoulders? 

New York Jets +850

Buzz: See New York Giants. Times 10. Minus Aaron Rodgers. 

Cleveland Browns +850

Buzz: The Browns crumbled last season en route to a 3-14 finish. Kevin Stefanski survived the NFL's coaching purge. The Browns used four different quarterbacks. Deshaun Watson suffered an Achilles injury and played just 7 games in 2024. He is likely to miss significant time this upcoming season, as well. Watson carries a $76 million cap this season. Bringing in a QB like Cousins with a $40 million price tag is unlikely. Cleveland has the No. 2 pick in the April draft and could well take a QB.