NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw has absolutely savaged Sam Darnold – despite being positive about the Minnesota Vikings star in the past.
Last month, Bradshaw, 76, made a stark observation, comparing Darnold, 27, to players such as Baker Mayfield, who have struggled to find stability in their careers. Since making his NFL debut for the New York Jets in 2018, Darnold has moved on to the Carolina Panthers, then to the San Francisco 49ers, and most recently to the Vikings – something Bradshaw suggested was a poor reflection on the quarterback.
“In today’s football world, I would never have made it,” the legendary QB-turned-FOX Sports analyst said on the Rodeo Times podcast in December. “They’d have kicked me out… [pauses to think] Baker Mayfield, these guys [who are] passed around.
“Darnold, up in Minnesota, [has been] passed around. Because now it’s quick, you’ve got to do it fast. You’ve got to make it happen now.”
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While Bradshaw’s remarks about Darnold being “passed around” might come off as harsh, they reflect the brutal reality of the modern NFL, where patience for quarterback development is fleeting. However, Bradshaw’s comments are not without a strong undercurrent of respect and optimism for the Vikings QB.
Bradshaw has consistently praised Darnold’s abilities, asserting that his struggles stem from circumstances rather than talent. “He [Darnold] has been with bad teams,” the Pittsburgh Steelers legend said in September, explaining why Darnold has yet to reach his full potential prior to the player’s recent resurgence.
“If you’re a top-ten pick in the NFL and you’re a quarterback, you should not be a failure. He simply hasn’t been with the right team. I think he’s with the right team.”
Bradshaw’s earlier assessment of Darnold during his spell with the Panthers underscores this belief. “What we’re seeing now from Darnold is this: a guy who can play the position, a guy that’s accurate, a guy that has everything I want to see in a QB,” he said back in 2021, before branding the California native “the greatest QB in [the Panthers’] franchise history”.
Sam Darnold heads into the playoffs in a good vein of form (
Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
In recent weeks, Darnold has been proving that Bradshaw’s faith is well-placed and that his comments last month might have been made a little too hastily. The Vikings star boasts a 14-2 record for the season and is tied for fourth for the most passing yards in the NFL. He also has 35 touchdowns in the regular season and is on a nine-game winning streak ahead of the Vikings’ blockbuster showdown against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
The two teams are battling it out not only for the NFC North title, but also the No. 1 seed and a crucial first-round bye in the playoffs. Whoever loses will settle for the No. 5 seed, meaning a wild-card match-up against either the Los Angeles Rams or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Whatever success the Vikings have over the coming days and weeks, Darnold is sure to be right at the center of it. With a strong run of form behind him, and a golden opportunity to shine on the biggest stage lying ahead, this could be the moment where Darnold transitions from being ‘passed around’ to firmly establishing himself as a franchise quarterback.
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