The Las Vegas Raiders desperately need a new quarterback for the 2025 season. They hold the sixth overall pick in the first round, meaning that they might not have the luxury of drafting one of the top quarterbacks in the upcoming draft.
Raiders named best fit for Sam Darnold
Therefore, they may need to surf the free-agent market for their next quarterback. ESPN’s Matt Bowen listed the best fits for the top 50 free agents, and had the Raiders as the best fit for quarterback Sam Darnold:
“With the transition to coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, the Raiders could finally solve their QB issue in free agency by signing Darnold. Las Vegas was 30th in QBR in 2024 (40.4), and Darnold’s 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdown throws for the Vikings both ranked fifth in the league. And in Vegas, Kelly could scheme for Darnold’s arm talent, while also using his mobility to attack the edges,” Bowen wrote.
Darnold experienced a resurgence with the Minnesota Vikings last season. He led the team to a 14-3 record and a playoff berth and had a surprise season after J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury before Week 1.
Darnold smashed his previous career-high of 19 passing touchdowns with 35 in 2024, and he also threw for 4,319 yards and boasted a 66.2% completion rate. He was one of the best uprising stories in the NFL this past season and likely saved his career after bouncing around the league as a backup in the previous few seasons.
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Darnold will get a big payday in free agency
He will likely receive a contract similar to Baker Mayfield’s three-year, $100 million contract that he received from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last offseason. Mayfield had a similar resurgence to Darnold and was rewarded financially for keeping the Buccaneers successful, and Darnold will likely follow that same path with the hope that his play on the field will keep up.
The Raiders could use Darnold big time. They threw the third-fewest passing touchdowns last season with just 19 and their 16 interceptions were tied for the fifth-most. Darnold could solve those problems for Las Vegas as it seems as though he has made the necessary adjustments to become a more efficient passer.
Of course, signing Darnold to a massive deal comes with some risk, as he only has one season of true success under his belt. It is still to be determined if this past season was an anomaly or the start of something better for Darnold, but the Raiders should jump on the opportunity nonetheless given their desperate need for a quarterback.
