Sam Darnold, who was drafted third overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, has finally been playing like the player most had hoped for coming into the NFL.

Darnold didn’t pan out in New York, leading to the team trading him to the Carolina Panthers. After two seasons with Carolina, Darnold wound up as a backup on the San Francisco 49ers before signing with the Minnesota Vikings this offseason.

Speaking about Darnold’s success this season on The Pat McAfee Show, former NFL coach Bill Belichick called the Jets out for not ‘liking’ Darnold.

“The people at Carolina that I talked to, they really liked him. He was at the Rams, not for very long, they liked him. I think they wanted to re-sign him, he was looking for more of an opportunity than to play behind Stafford. I know that Kevin and some of the coaches in Minnesota, they really like this guy too. So it seemed like the only people that didn’t like Darnold were at the Jets.”

Sam Darnold could have a rejuvenating year with the Minnesota Vikings this season

It isn’t often that quarterbacks have a breakout year in year seven of their NFL playing careers. However, for Sam Darnold, that could be the case as he has been brilliant this season with the Minnesota Vikings.

Darnold was supposed to be the backup this season for the Vikings. An injury to rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy paved the way for him to start this season as the team’s quarterback. And in the three games he has played for the Vikings so far, Darnold has been playing lights out.

The 27-year-old has helped lead the Vikings to a 3-0 record, sitting in first place in the NFC North. He’s completed 67.9 percent of his passes (53-of-78) for 657 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s also added 35 yards on the ground.

Prior to his 3-0 start this season, Darnold had a career record of 21-35 and had been a backup over the last few seasons. A surging start to the 2024 season could set something big up for Darnold after this season.

Since Darnold signed a one-year contract with the Vikings, he could be in for a big payday next offseason if he continues to play the way he has been for the rest of the campaign.