The Minnesota Vikings couldn’t trade quarterback Sam Darnold this season even if they wanted to, but that could be in the cards next spring.

Darnold has been awesome in 2024, but part of the credit is owed to head coach Kevin O’Connell’s scheme and the high-level skill players around Darnold on the roster. Darnold is about to get a whole lot pricier, with Spotrac projecting his $10 million annual salary this year will jump up to $36 million in each of the next four seasons.

That increase would significantly mitigate Darnold’s value to Minnesota. However, letting him walk in free agency for nothing isn’t necessarily a smart move, and it certainly won’t be popular among the locker room or Vikings fans if the team offers a strong showing in the playoffs.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell last week pitched an interesting solution that could prove a win-win for both sides. Minnesota could use the franchise tag to keep Darnold tethered to the roster in 2025 at a monster pay raise to somewhere in the neighborhood of $40 million for one year, then explore the trade market for a QB-needy partner that can help the Vikings restock their shelves as they transition from Darnold to rookie J.J. McCarthy — the No. 10 pick in the most recent NFL draft.

“Franchise-tagging Darnold has to be a serious possibility,” Barnwell wrote on December 9. “The Vikings wouldn’t want him to sign the tag, but with Darnold hoping to land a multiyear guarantee, he probably wouldn’t do so immediately. Minnesota could shop him in the hopes of landing a more significant haul, which would limit his ability to pick where he goes next.”