here.

Rumor: The dark horse candidate for Sam Darnold’s next team — is the Los Angeles Rams.

He replied, “Great question. A couple tough choices out there. I know Ja’Marr Chase — what a year he’s having, but I’m saying Justin Jefferson. He can do everything from any spot on the field. He goes deep. He goes short. Catch the ball, catch and run, touchdowns, third down. He’s a ridiculous player.”

“Jefferson reminds me so much of my former teammate and Viking Randy Moss. So if it comes down to choosing only one, he would be the one right now,” Brady added about Jefferson.

Few outside the state of Ohio disagree.

Rumor: Wes Phillips spilled the beans this week about Sam Darnold’s future, and the guy sounds like a man heading to a new team in the offseason.

Phillips told reporters.

Minnesota drafted rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy last April, and the franchise seems poised to hand him the QB1 baton next year. McCarthy tore his meniscus in mid-August, canceling his rookie campaign.

“I would hope he would kind of say, ‘Hey, the body of work that I’ve put in so far is going to take care of the future. Really, all I need to worry about is right now.’”

“The worry might’ve been, ‘OK, this might be my opportunity to play.’ He’s past all that. He’s proven the doubters, and he’s proven that he can play in this league. Let’s just make this the best possible season we can have,” Phillips continued.

“Sam has really taken heed to all the cliches: Be where your feet are planted; be in the moment; let’s go 1-0 this week; let’s worry about this game plan. Whether there’s been praise — which there has been a lot for him this year — he hasn’t let that affect him, and when games don’t go necessarily we want to, or he wants to, he hasn’t let that affect him either,” Phillips added. “He’s been consistent in his demeanor, in his approach, in his work ethic, and that’s where we want to be. The most important game is the next one, and for this week, it’s Chicago.”

Darnold is on pace for roughly 4,300 passing yards, 38 total touchdowns, and 13 interceptions this season. That production will probably fetch him a contract between $40-$50 million in 2025.

Phillips has a golden opportunity to say something in the arena of, “Sam is our quarterback right now, and I don’t handle his contract business for next year.”

But he didn’t do that.

Phillips basically stated the obvious — the Vikings won’t deviate from the J.J. McCarthy plan. He’s the future.

The Vikings Quietly Re-Signed an Old Friend

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.