Jul 12, 2026, 11:30 PM CUT

Sam Darnold's Super Bowl win fuels fresh criticism of Vikings' QB decisions

NFL, American Football Herren, USA Seattle Seahawks vs Los Angeles Rams Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold 14 during pregame of a NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, November 16, 2025, at SoFi Stadium, in Inglewood, CA. The Rams defeated the Seahawks 21-19. Jon Endow/Image of Inglewood California United States EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xJonxEndowx JonxEndowx iosphotos385947

After watching former quarterback Sam Darnold find success with the Seattle Seahawks, the debate surrounding the Minnesota Vikings' approach to retaining and releasing quarterbacks has gained backlash in the NFL community.

During a recent discussion on the A to Z Sports - Detroit Lions YouTube channel, Mike Payton questioned Tyler Forness whether the Vikings have developed a habit of moving on from quarterbacks too quickly, pointing to Sam Darnold's Super Bowl-winning season with the Seattle Seahawks.

“I think the Vikings are moving on from quarterbacks too fast. And I just want to get your thoughts,” Payton questioned. “...the NFL as of late is that teams are just moving on from quarterbacks too fast, and then they wind up catching on somewhere else.”

SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 03: Sam Darnold 14 of the Seattle Seahawks warms up before an NFL, American Football Herren, USA game between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers on January 3, 2026 at Levi s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire NFL: JAN 03 Seahawks at 49ers EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260103040

While answering, Forness remained diplomatic by saying a both yes or no situation.

He gave the example of Josh Rosen of the Arizona Cardinals, who did not perform for them and later was released by the franchise.

He later gave much worse stats in the Miami Dolphins.

However, that was not the case for Darnold. While being in the Vikings, Darnold played some of his career’s best football. He appeared in 17 games for the Vikings and threw for 4,319 yards and scored 35 TDs.

“I think Sam Darnold's a perfect example of that,” Payton added. “The Jets move on from him when he catches on in Minnesota, and then Minnesota lets him go, and then he goes and wins the Super Bowl in Seattle.”

Even after joining the Seahawks, he kept on with his production. He played in 17 games for them and covered 4,048 yards and scored 25 TDs.

With his continued elite production in the league, he delivered a Super Bowl-winning performance for the Seattle Seahawks.

Amid the debate over the release of Sam Darnold, an analyst dropped a blunt take on JJ McCarthy.

JJ McCarthy faces blunt reality check amid Sam Darnold debate

After the departure of Sam Darnold back in 2024, after one season, the Minnesota Vikings are having competition between JJ McCarthy and Kyler Murray.

According to Colin Cowherd of The Herd with Colin Cowherd podcast, J.J. McCarthy can unlock his full potential if he joins another team, but Cowherd said Murray will start for the Vikings in the 2026 NFL season.

"They don't want J.J. McCarthy to be a bust, but he's a miss," he said on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. "The Vikings are a well-run organization with a great coach and a great defensive coordinator, and he's not working."

Cowherd believes that Darnold put up some good stats for the Vikings, but still he was released. However, he found success with the Seahawks by winning the Super Bowl.

As the Vikings are heading into the 2026 season, the competition around their QB1 remains steep between McCarthy and Murray.

Written by

Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker