Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or Trey Lance

Tuesday, February 18, 4:25 PM

ESPN's Kevin Seifert reports that the Minnesota Vikings are in no rush to place the franchise tag on impending free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold despite his career year in 2024. It doesn't mean they won't eventually use it on the 27-year-old signal-caller, and it doesn't rule out the team giving him a multi-year extension. Another option is that the Vikings tag Darnold and then trade him for draft-pick compensation. Keeping Darnold on the tag in 2025 would cost Minnesota around $40 million, which would be a questionable decision with former first-rounder J.J. McCarthy (knee) waiting in the wings as the franchise QB. Seifert believes the most likely scenario is that the team lets Darnold sign elsewhere while saving the tag for a player like cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., who had a career-high six interceptions in 2024. Darnold set career-highs last year across the board but also had just one TD and a 53% completion percentage in the last two games.

Monday, January 6, 9:09 AM

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance was under center on Sunday as a starting quarterback for the first time since Week 2 of 2022. The inexperienced signal caller had a solid day, completing 20-of-34 passes for 244 yards and carrying the ball six times for 26 yards. Lance played well but struggled to convert in the red zone, with four drives ending in field goals and one ending as a turnover on downs. On the first quarter drive where Dallas failed to convert on fourth down, Lance missed running back Rico Dowdle in the end zone on what should have been an easy pass. The Cowboys ultimately fell 23-19 to the Commanders, but Lance put together a solid audition as he is slated to hit free agency in the spring.