GLENDALE, Ariz. – Sam Darnold’s dream season fell apart over the last two weeks. It happened so quickly, in fact, that Darnold seemed unwilling to process the fallout in the moments following the Minnesota Vikings’ 27-9 wild-card playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night.

“Obviously,” Darnold said, “at the end of the day, the only question that matters is what do you do in a good season: ‘What do you do in the playoffs?'” We didn’t get it done today and that’s all that matters. “

Darnold appeared to have revived his career this season after signing a one-year deal with the Vikings and leading them to 14 wins while throwing for a career-high 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns. After the Vikings’ Week 17 victory over the Green Bay Packers, his teammates lifted him onto their shoulders in a symbolic celebration of his season.

Since that moment, however, Darnold has regressed to a level that cost him his jobs with the New York Jets in 2020 and the Carolina Panthers in 2022. In losses over the last eight days to the Rams and Detroit Lions, he threw a combined 23 missed throws and totaled 11 sacks, including nine on Monday night, according to ESPN Research.

While he once seemed to be on track for the Vikings to re-sign him or at least keep him with their franchise tag for 2025, Darnold is now heading into free agency and his future is as uncertain as ever.

“I’ll have a lot of time after this to reflect on what the season brought,” Darnold said, “but to be honest, I’m just thinking about today and what I could have done better.”

All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson acknowledged the uncertainty and declined to comment on the Vikings’ impending decision Monday night. Jefferson compared the situation to what the Vikings faced with Kirk Cousins ​​last season, although in that case Jefferson favored Cousins’ return.

“I didn’t know who my quarterback was going to be (after last season) and I really didn’t care,” Jefferson said. “At the end of the day I will always say that I am confident that I can perform the same as I have done so far. But it’s not my job to say who’s going to be the quarterback or who I want. “In the end, they’ll figure it out, and whoever they choose, we can work with that.”

Darnold seemed particularly disappointed with Monday’s sack total, which tied an NFL postseason record. The 82 yards he lost on those sacks was a postseason record. On these plays, he held the ball for an average of 4.73 seconds, including eight against a four-man rush.

“It’s up to me to feel that and either get up, move, run for a first down or just throw it away,” he said. “I felt like I was responsible for a lot of sacks where I was just holding on to the football and taking sacks where I could have fouled it at someone’s feet or just thrown it over someone’s head.”

When asked why he didn’t do that, Darnold said: “Just a spur of the moment decision, I tried to get away and couldn’t get the ball out.”

Coach Kevin O’Connell offered some mild criticism, pointing out that “some finishing was needed” and adding: “You have to find a way to defend the ball and just keep moving it forward.” Completions have a negative impact.” They simply impact the defense. Those moments when you’re holding the ball and trying to make a play.

The organization will lean on O’Connell to make the final decision on Darnold’s future and whether he is willing to hand the offense over to 2024 draft pick JJ McCarthy or whether he prefers to sign another veteran . Speaking on Monday night, O’Connell went out of his way to say it was “very important that we all reflect on Sam’s body of work as the season progresses.”

“What he did this year when not many people believed he could lead a team to 14 wins, which is rare,” O’Connell said. “The way he came in, just committing to a daily process to be the best version of himself. In the end it didn’t work out. I think Sam would be the first to tell you. Could he have played better tonight?” I’m sure he could have coached better. I promise you that our team could have banded together here and there to stay close.