For most of the 2024 season, Sam Darnold enjoyed a magical journey loaded with euphoric moments that exceeded every expectation set for the former first-round bust.

Under coach Kevin O’Connell, Darnold enjoyed a career campaign in Minnesota on a one-year, $10 million deal. The quarterback posted personal bests in numerous categories, including passing yards (4,319), passing touchdowns (35), completion percentage (66.2) and passer rating (102.5). He made his first Pro Bowl and helped the Vikings win 14 games. A signal-caller who initially seemed like a temporary bridge (at best) to rookie J.J. McCarthy had proven himself as a viable long-term starter over the course of the season — until the final two games.

With the stakes at their highest, Darnold flopped. He completed just 18 of 41 attempts during a 31-9 loss to the Lions in a Week 18 game that decided the NFC North and the owner of the conference’s top seed. He followed that up with a 25-for-40, 245-yard showing on Wild Card Weekend that was much worse visually than those stats suggest. Averaging a time to throw of 3.21 seconds, Darnold experienced a nightmarish postseason outing that saw him take an astounding nine sacks in the 27-9 loss to the Rams. In the biggest moments, Darnold failed to match the production that previously inspired serious discussions about handing him a highly lucrative contract in the offseason.

Now, the offseason has officially arrived for the Vikings, who will trudge into 2025 still licking their wounds while attempting to understand what went wrong. The answer, while seeming reductive, isn’t complicated: It was Darnold. His play cratered at the worst possible time, wiping out the confidence and trust he’d built in his debut season with the Vikings. Now, Darnold approaches free agency with a wide range of possible outcomes.

Where might Darnold land? What will the compensation look like? Let’s dig into the possibilities.