The Minnesota Vikings have not made a decision about whether they’re going to let quarterback Sam Darnold hit the free agent market this offseason, but they took a step to make sure they’re keeping their options open on Tuesday when it comes to using their franchise tag — potentially impacting the quarterback market for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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.