The Minnesota Vikings have one final way to protect themselves from making a drastic decision at quarterback. Instead of signing Sam Darnold to a standard contract or franchise tagging him, they could use the transition tag.

"My guess right now is the Minnesota Vikings don’t franchise-tag Sam Darnold and instead let the quarterback go to the market, asking that he give them a shot to match any offer he gets," Breer wrote. "To that end, Minnesota actually could transition-tag Darnold, which would come with a less-expensive tender and the chance to match."

His preseason torn meniscus scuttled those plans and Darnold went on to have a great and surprising year. There are no guarantees that Darnold would be able to repeat his success in 2025, and if the Vikings were to bring him back, his $10 million salary would likely rise to the $35-40 million level.