For years, many have dismissed quarterback Sam Darnold, who was the No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, as a total draft bust, especially since his first three seasons in the league turned into a disaster with the New York Jets.
He bounced around the league a bit afterward, but this season, it has all come together for him as a member of the Minnesota Vikings, who have a real shot at getting the top seed in the NFC.
On Fox Sports 1’s “Speak,” former star wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson said that everyone needs to give Darnold an apology while pointing out his unfavorable circumstances while in New York.
.@Keyshawn passionately defends Sam Darnold and says everyone owes him an apology. 👀 pic.twitter.com/YjqmvdfbJ0
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) December 30, 2024
This season, through 16 games, Darnold has thrown for 4,153 yards and 35 touchdowns while completing 68.1 percent of his pass attempts, and one has to expect he will end up getting his first Pro Bowl nod.
As recently as last season, he was a backup for the San Francisco 49ers, and it looked like that was his fate for the rest of his career — merely being a decent backup while hopping around from team to team.
Minnesota came out of the gates hot and won their first five games, and on Sunday, they got past the Green Bay Packers, 27-25, to give themselves a 14-2 record and their ninth straight victory.
They will visit the Detroit Lions, who are 14-2 and have been the favorites to win the division since the offseason, in what should be a doozy of a Week 18 matchup.
NEXT: Keyshawn Johnson Makes His Thoughts Clear About Vikings
