The Luck Is Made Podcast: How Kevin O'Connell & the Vikings Saved Sam Darnold's Career (10/25/24, Episode 13)

We're shifting gears a little bit this week. Instead of the regular fantasy jargon, here's an inside look at quarterback Sam Darnold's career revival in Minnesota. Despite losing their last two games, the Vikings are sitting pretty in the NFC playoff race at 5-2 and Darnold continues to play well.

Today's topics include:

• After shining in college at USC for two years, Sam Darnold was considered the most "pro-ready" quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft and was drafted ahead of Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, going No. 3 overall to the New York Jets.
• But after 3 disappointing seasons, Darnold was traded to the Carolina Panthers before losing his job to Baker Mayfield. Many had labeled him a bust and thought his career was over, but Sam didn't give up.
• Darnold signed with the San Francisco 49ers before the 2023 season to serve as Brock Purdy's backup and learn from head coach Kyle Shanahan to help fix some of his bad habits in the hopes of eventually starting again.
• After letting veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins walk in free agency, the Vikings brought in Darnold to help mentor rookie J.J. McCarthy. But McCarthy was sidelined for the season during training camp, and Darnold was given one last chance. Now he's shaking off the bust label and has the Vikings sitting in the thick of the NFC playoff race at 5-2. Ironically enough, how head coach Kevin O'Connell became the perfect fit for Darnold goes all the way back to his own playing career.