Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold has football fans in stitches after a viral video emerged of his priceless reaction to a horrible interception in practice.
Sam Darnold will likely open the 2024 season as the Vikings’ starting quarterback following an injury to rookie JJ McCarthy. The latter will be out indefinitely after suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee that will require surgery, head coach Kevin O’Connell announced on Tuesday.
Let’s just say that Vikings fans better hope that Darnold is more careful with the football in regular season games. Here’s a video of the 2018 first-round pick throwing an awful interception in practice that was followed by a hysterical reaction on his end:
Sam Darnold going “head down, hands on knees” right after the pick 6 is hilarious 😂
— NFL Notifications (@NFLNotify) August 13, 2024
Social media had some epic reactions to this clip of Darnold:
bro knows it’s going to be a long season
— Caleb (@CalebbMuse) August 13, 2024
All I heard out of camp was Sam Darnold doing well. As soon as JJ gets injured, he now sucks. Sam Darnold wants to be a career backup
— Zach Gagnon (@zachgagnon28) August 14, 2024
Seeing ghosts 😳
— Rick Kreller (@rkkreller) August 14, 2024
Me in flag football
— Garrex (@Garrexx12) August 13, 2024
giants defense is gonna cook week 1 😂
— paige (@paigeypooo13) August 13, 2024
Vikings fans better get used to seeing that pose
— CycloneDad (@CycloneDad123) August 13, 2024
He knows he’s cooked 😂
— J (@juiceweb3) August 13, 2024
@jmthrivept “Something tells me Justin Jefferson will be fine.”
— Jay Strel (@JustPushin) August 13, 2024
Sam Darnold was widely regarded as the front-runner for the Vikings’ starting quarterback job heading into training camp. With McCarthy likely to miss multiple games, it would be a giant shock if the former No. 3 pick wasn’t the starter come Week 1.
The USC product spent the 2023 season as Brock Purdy’s backup for the San Francisco 49ers after a two-year stint with the Carolina Panthers. Darnold could not revive his career in Carolina after a disappointing three-year stint with the Jets, going 8-9 with the Panthers with 16 touchdowns against as many interceptions.
Vikings Need Sam Darnold To Step Up In Regular Season
The Vikings had a simple reason for giving Darnold a one-year deal in free agency: They knew it was important to have a veteran QB and bridge option in place, not knowing if they would get their quarterback in round one.
Even though Minnesota got McCarthy with the No. 10 pick, it was clear from the get-go that O’Connell would not want to rush the Michigan product into starting action. Now that McCarthy is out, the pressure is on Darnold to run the offense efficiently until/unless the rookie returns and is ready for starting duties.
