NFC North

Timing can be everything when it comes to new contracts in sports, and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold picked a less-than-ideal time to revert back to his old form in his team's final two games of the season.

But he still could be in line for significant money in free agency.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler weighed in on the Darnold discourse Tuesday and pointed out "he's still the top free-agent quarterback" who was never going to get a contract that paid him approximately $50 million annually.

Fowler admitted his final two games "don't help" but also said teams have "forecasted him in Geno Smith/Baker Mayfield weight class of contracts."

Heading into the 2025 season, Mayfield checks in with the 18th-highest average annual value among quarterbacks at $33.3 million, while Smith is 19th at $25 million.

That is a notable comparison point, although it was just last month that The Athletic's Zak Keefer reported some teams around the league thought giving Darnold a contract worth $40 million annually would be a "better bet" than drafting a rookie in the incoming 2025 class.

Any of those figures would represent a raise for Darnold, who signed with the Vikings for one year and $10 million ahead of the 2024 campaign. Heading into the preseason, he was seen as a potential veteran leader and bridge quarterback until J.J. McCarthy was ready to take over as a first-round franchise quarterback.

However, McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury, which elevated Darnold into the starting role.

That seemed like a problem given his past since he failed to live up to expectations as the No. 3 overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft with the New York Jets. He went 13-25 as a starter with New York and then bounced around to the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers before joining the Vikings.

Yet Darnold surpassed all realistic expectations with Minnesota as a Pro Bowler who led the team to a 14-3 record and playoff spot while completing 66.2 percent of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

And then the finish happened.

The Week 18 game against the Detroit Lions was for the NFC's No. 1 seed and a first-round bye, and he went 18-of-41 for 166 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions in a 31-9 loss. That was better than the 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round when he went 25-of-40 for 245 yards, one touchdown and one interception while being sacked nine times.

It surely brought back memories of the version of Darnold in New York for those who were watching, and it was fair to wonder what he might look like in a different situation when he is not playing in Kevin O'Connell's system surrounded by Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones and T.J. Hockenson.

How much the ending of the campaign will ultimately cost him remains to be seen.

The Vikings could always look to franchise tag him, but he might instead hit free agency in search of a new deal. The selling points are that he is still just 27 years old, now has playoff experience and is coming off a Pro Bowl campaign that will likely instill more confidence.

But the ending will be difficult to ignore.

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn have been hot names in the coaching market this week, as a number of teams look to fill vacancies at head coach.

Lions' fans should probably brace for the very real possibility of losing both.

SI.com's Albert Breer wrote Tuesday that, "At this point, it'd feel like an upset if Detroit kept either of its coordinators."

ESPN's Adam Schefter agrees:

No surprises there. Johnson has already been interviewed by the New England Patriots—who have since hired Mike Vrabel—Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders, and it wouldn't be surprising if the Dallas Cowboys came calling as well (though the Cowboys can't interview either Johnson or Glenn until Detroit's season ends).

Glenn, meanwhile, has interviewed with the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Bears, Raiders and Jaguars, while the Cowboys could be a possibility as well.

That level of interest in both men suggest that they will find a head-coaching gig this offseason. For now, however, both are focused on helping the Lions both reach the Super Bowl and win a title, which would both be firsts for the organization.

Following the conclusion of Jordan Love's second full season as the Green Bay Packers starting quarterback, head coach Matt LaFleur pointed out an area he wants to see Love grow in this offseason.

"I think the next step is just to continue to evolve as a vocal leader," LaFleur said on Tuesday, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky.

Love has developed well during his four years in the NFL, and quarterbacks coach Tom Clements was a big reason for his early success. Love will now be tasked with his first season as a start without Clements, who retired on Tuesday.

The longtime Packers' assistant coached legendary quarterbacks Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers during his time with Green Bay.

LaFleur had high praise for Love, calling him an "ascending player" despite taking a step back in 2024. LaFleur now just wants to see Love get to the next step as a leader, and he belives he has what it takes.

"I think that just kind of comes with the position naturally," LaFleur said. "I think he's taken steps to get there, but I think he can really demand a lot because the locker room respects him. And they respect him not only as a person but by the work he puts in. He's a grinder. He's one of the guys; I think that's one of his best qualities is he is one of the guys.

"They all respect him, but I think, when things aren't quite right, I think he can voice that as well. When guys aren't quite doing what they're supposed to be doing, and he's one of the guys to talk to [them] about that. I just think it means more when it comes from your quarterback than it does from me or one of our other coaches."

Love had 4,159 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2023, leading the Packers to the division round where they fell to the San Francisco 49ers. This season, Love missed two games early in the year but threw for 3,389 yards, 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

He ended his season on a disappointing note, throwing three picks in a wild-card loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He'll now attack the offseason looking to grow both as a player and as a leader.

Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson didn't exactly offer a ringing endorsement of Sam Darnold when asked about the team's quarterback situation for 2025.

"I didn't know who my quarterback was going to be [after last season], and I really didn't care," he said after Monday's 27-9 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, per ESPN's Kevin Seifert. "At the end of the day, I'll always say that I'm confident in myself to perform the same way I've been performing. But it's not my job to say who is going to be the quarterback or who do I want to be the quarterback. At the end of the day, they're going to figure it out, and whoever they decide to go with, we can work with that."

Heading into the final week of the regular season, it looked a safe bet that Darnold would return to Minnesota in some form. Maybe the Vikings would apply the franchise tag or sign him to an extension that would raise questions over the future of rookie QB J.J. McCarthy.

Then Darnold went 18-of-41 for 166 yards in a 31-9 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 18 with the NFC North title on the line. He wasn't much better against the Rams, throwing for 245 yards, one touchdown and one interception while getting sacked nine times.

At the risk of making a knee-jerk reaction, the idea of paying Darnold $40 million or more per year suddenly looks a lot less enticing.

When it comes to Jefferson, what he didn't say after the game could be telling.

The Vikings were in a similar position last offseason with Kirk Cousins hitting free agency. With the quarterback position in flux, Jefferson expressed confidence in his own abilities regardless of who was under center, but he also signaled his hope that Cousins would return.

Maybe the two-time All-Pro feels the same way about Darnold.

It would be unfair to assume his postgame comments in the heat of the moment represent his full opinion. In the weeks ahead, he may lobby for Darnold in the same way he did for Cousins.

For now, Jefferson's remarks will add to the uncertainty over the Vikings' quarterback room.

Sam Darnold picked a bad time to have his worst two-week stretch of the season, as the Minnesota Vikings lost back-to-back games to have what seemed like a dream run come crashing down on them.

After the Vikings' 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card Round on Monday, Darnold shouldered the blame for taking nine sacks in the game.

"It's up to me to be able to feel that and either step up, move, go run for a first down or just simply throw it away," he said. "I felt like there were a lot of sacks that I was responsible for, where I was just holding onto the football and taking sacks where I could have dirted it at someone's feet or simply thrown it over someone's head."

Darnold finished 25-of-40 for 245 yards with one touchdown and one interception. This came after he went 18-of-41 for 166 yards in a 31-9 loss against the Detroit Lions in Week 18 that determined home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell did compliment Darnold for what he accomplished over the course of the entire season as the 27-year-old is set to become a free agent:

What he was able to do this year, when not very many people thought he would be able to lead a team to 14 wins, which is rare. The way he came in, committed himself to just a daily process to be the best version of himself. It did not work out in the end. 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 promise you I could have. Could our team have rallied around a play here and there to keep it close? For sure.

The Rams' nine sacks are tied for the most by a team in a playoff game. Six of them came in the first half, with one resulting in a fumble that Jared Verse returned 57 yards for a touchdown.

Going into Week 18, it seemed like a given the Vikings would at least use the franchise tag to keep Darnold. They were 14-2 and challenging the Lions for the No. 1 seed in the conference.

These last two games saw Darnold revert back to the quarterback who was seeing ghosts on the field, opening up the possibility the Vikings decide to simply let him test free agency.

Minnesota's quarterback plan for this season was supposed to include rookie J.J. McCarthy, but things didn't work out when he suffered a torn meniscus in the preseason opener that caused him to miss the entire year.

McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 draft, could go into the offseason as the Vikings' No. 1 starter. Darnold is going to be a free agent for the third straight year and facing the possibility of playing for his fourth different team since the start of the 2022 season.

The Minnesota Vikings' magical season came to an end on Monday with a 27-9 blowout loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round.

Minnesota had one of its best seasons in franchise history during the regular season, but the team we saw all year was nowhere to be found as the Rams had their way with the Vikings. Quarterback Sam Darnold struggled all night, throwing for 245 yards on 25-of-39 passing with a touchdown and an interception.

Darnold couldn't seem to get the ball off on time, which is partially on his offensive line, and he was sacked nine times for 82 yards.

Darnold had a career year with 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdowns, but back-to-back poor games that resulted in blowout losses could take a toll on what could have been a lucrative offseason in free agency.

After the game, fans questioned whether Darnold is worth a big contract this offseason.

All eyes will be on the Vikings when it comes to Darnold in free agency. While he willed them to 14 wins behind an outstanding season, they could decide to let him walk and instead move on to rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who didn't play this year due to an injury before the season.

Even if Minnesota isn't willing to re-sign him, Darnold will end up somewhere, it just might not come at the price he wanted.

Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon also excels as the team's return specialist, but he's no longer interested in performing double duties going forward.

After the Packers' 22-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card Round on Sunday, Nixon made it clear that he doesn't want to be used as a return specialist anymore.

"I'm kind of over it," Nixon during Monday's exit interviews, per The Athletic's Matt Schneidman. "I don't really want to do it no more. There's going to be talks with the coaching staff and stuff like that, but I think it's over with for me."

"I want to be CB1," he added. "CB1 is not doing kick returns. That's just what it is."

Nixon recorded career highs of 88 total tackles, seven passes defended, three sacks and three forced fumbles while also adding an interception this season, so perhaps he should have his wishes granted. Still, it's hard to overlook his skills as a returner.

Nixon was named first-team All-Pro in 2022 and 2023 after leading the NFL in kick return yards in both seasons. This year, he ranked sixth in the league.

Despite his prowess at the position, Nixon committed a major blunder in Sunday's game when he lost a fumble on the opening kickoff, leading to a quick touchdown for the Eagles. The Packers were unable to fight back from the early deficit.

With Nixon going public about his feelings, it would be a surprise if he's still deployed as a returner for Green Bay in 2025, but he will need to back up his declarations about being the team's No. 1 cornerback.

While there has been no shortage of speculation about the Chicago Bears potentially being interested in Mike McCarthy after he and the Dallas Cowboys parted ways, the NFC North team could look to its biggest rival for its next head coach.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that Chicago requested an interview with Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich.

Hiring an offensive coach from the Packers would be nothing new for the Bears, who brought in Green Bay quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy to be the offensive coordinator starting with the 2022 season.

However, he lasted just two disappointing seasons before Chicago fired him.

Stenavich is higher up in Green Bay's organizational chart than Getsy was, though, seeing how he was the offensive coordinator for the last three seasons. He previously worked as an assistant offensive line coach for the San Francisco 49ers and offensive line coach for the Packers.

Green Bay reached the playoffs in each of the last two seasons with Stenavich's offense making notable strides from when he first started as O.C. to this past year. The team finished 17th in yards and 14th in points during the 2022 campaign but fifth in yards and eighth in points in 2024.

Stenavich helped develop Jordan Love into a 4,000-yard passer last season and has an offensive background that is surely appealing to a Bears team that needs Caleb Williams to live up to his potential if it is going to succeed in the coming years.

The No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft was inconsistent at times during his rookie campaign but still put up solid numbers while completing 62.5 percent of his passes for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. The potential was clear and the biggest selling point for any coaching candidate, and Stenavich surely noticed as a division rival.

If nothing else, this will be an important experience for Stenavich if he is eventually going to become a head coach down the line.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported it is the first head-coaching interview for the Packers O.C. who has made his way up the organizational chart in recent years. The next step would be head coach, and Chicago is at least interested enough to interview him.

The Green Bay Packers will reportedly covet wide receiver Tee Higgins in free agency.

Following a 22-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in their Wild Card Round playoff matchup on Sunday, ESPN's Ben Solak mentioned the Packers as a team to "expect" to be "in the Tee Higgins hunt" and could package a receiver such as Romeo Doubs in a trade for a star wideout if the team isn't successful in free agency.

Injuries to Green Bay's wide receiver room hurt the offense during its playoff loss, as Doubs and Jayden Reed both left the game due to a possible concussion and shoulder injury, respectively.

Christian Watson was already ruled out ahead of the contest after suffering a torn ACL in Week 18.

Green Bay's receivers have been consistent, but a true top option for quarterback Jordan Love has yet to emerge. No Packers player reached 900 receiving yards during the regular season despite the team owning the league's No. 12 passing attack.

While Higgins has operated as the No. 2 wideout on the Cincinnati Bengals next to star Ja'Marr Chase, he's shown that he can thrive in an expanded role.

He's surpassed 1,000 yards in two of the first five seasons of his career, with at least five touchdown receptions in every year.

In 12 appearances during his 2024 campaign, Higgins caught 73 passes for 911 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns.

Green Bay has $51.3 million in cap space to pursue him during the offseason, via Over the Cap.

Following a swift postseason exit, the Packers would immediately give Love an elite weapon if they sign Higgins.