With the offseason in full swing, quarterback-needy teams are being linked to nearly every available signal-caller on the free agent market— and the Las Vegas Raiders are no exception.
The team made waves with one of the most surprising coaching hires of the year, bringing in 73-year-old Pete Carroll as their new head coach.
Naturally, this fueled speculation that Las Vegas might try to replicate Carroll’s past success in Seattle by pursuing former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
Rumors gained even more traction when Carroll interviewed ex-Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell for the Raiders’ OC position.
However, he ultimately chose Chip Kelly for the role, slightly dampening the Wilson-to-Vegas buzz. Still, despite the duo’s turbulent ending in Seattle, whispers of a reunion haven’t disappeared entirely.
Now, attention has shifted to another free agent quarterback—Minnesota Vikings’ Sam Darnold. According to an ESPN report, the Raiders have been linked to the veteran passer.
Darnold is coming off a breakout 2024 season, throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record and a Wild Card playoff appearance.
Under the guidance of Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell, Darnold thrived after stepping in as Minnesota’s full-time starter following a preseason injury to rookie J.J. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick. However, as the soon-to-be 28-year-old QB weighs his options, questions remain about whether his strong 2024 campaign was a turning point in his career or merely an outlier.
How will the Raiders handle the quarterback position for 2025?
Before 2024, Sam Darnold had never come close to the level of success he achieved last season. He shattered his previous career-high passing yard total by 1,295 yards, threw 16 more touchdowns than his previous best of 19, and improved his best full-season passer rating by over 18 points.
To say his numbers from last year are unsustainable would be an understatement. However, the current free-agent quarterback market isn’t exactly overflowing with talent.
Options include the aforementioned Russell Wilson, a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers who might retire, and names like Justin Fields, Daniel Jones, Cooper Rush, Jameis Winston, Joe Flacco, and Trey Lance.
That means Darnold might actually be the most appealing option available. And the Raiders? They don’t have many choices. Last season, they ranked 29th in scoring, averaging just 18.2 points per game. Their quarterback carousel featured Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell, and Desmond Ridder—none of whom provided a long-term solution.
Darnold could be their guy. Of course, the Vikings could opt to use the franchise tag on him, but with the 2025 quarterback tag expected to exceed $40 million, they might instead choose to tag and trade him.
How the Raiders approach their quarterback situation under Pete Carroll remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: they’re starting fresh. The team recently parted ways with assistant general manager Champ Kelly, possibly to avoid confusion after hiring Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator.
With Carroll in charge and minority owner Tom Brady offering guidance—while also calling games for Fox—the Raiders are likely to make a calculated decision. Whether that means signing Darnold to a short-term “prove it” deal or targeting a quarterback in the draft remains to be seen.
