He couldn’t translate that relative success into longevity, losing his first nine starts in 2020, his last year with the Jets.
In 2021, he won his first three starts with Carolina, The Panthers would finish 5-12.
In 2022, he went 4-2 as a starter, after the Panthers were out of contention.
He made one start last year with San Francisco, compiling a 96.5 rating in a 21-20 loss to the Rams during the last week of the regular season.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, when asked on Monday whether spending last year in San Francisco as a backup helped Darnold, said: “This week, it’ll be his first real feel of coming off a game with soreness [this season]. You know, obviously the mental fatigue that you can sometimes feel at the quarterback position coming off a Sunday, right along with and beside that soreness, you’re feeling that, as well. Now you’ve got to click right back in and turn the page and move on.”
Can Darnold start and finish a season well? That will tell the story of the 2024 Vikings.