Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings improved to 4-0 over the weekend, following a thrilling 31-29 victory against the division rival, Green Bay Packers, at Lambeau Field. Thanks to yet another impressive performance from their new QB, Vikings fans are starting to fall in love with Darnold… and so are sportsbooks.
Sam’s 275 yards through the air in Green Bay, pushed his total to 932 passing yards on the season, good for 7th most. He also ranks 3rd among NFL quarterbacks in QBR (73.6) and 1st in QB Rating (118.9). Without a doubt, he has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league, through four weeks.
Sam Darnold MVP odds surging
Entering week four, Darnold was leading the NFL with eight touchdown passes. That won’t change going into week five, after he threw three more vs the Packers, bringing his total to 11 TD passes on the season. Baker Mayfield is in a far-away 2nd place, with eight.
.@JJettas2 you are unreal. Literally not real.
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 29, 2024
📺: @NFLonCBs pic.twitter.com/9c7pRswcny
Darnold’s impressive start to the 2024 season is pushing his MVP odds through the roof. So much so that Sam is now a top-five contender for the NFL’s most coveted individual award.
According to DraftKings, Sam Darnold now has the 5th best odds to win 2024 NFL MVP (+1300). Only Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and CJ Stroud have better odds than our QB1. Think about it…
| MVP Rank | Player | MVP Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrick Mahomes | +300 |
| 2 | Josh Allen | +350 |
| 3 | Lamar Jackson | +700 |
| 4 | C.J. Stroud | +1000 |
| 5 | Sam Darnold | +1300 |
| 6 | Brock Purdy | +1800 |
This truly puts into perspective just how impressive Sam Darnold has been, so far this season. It’s only week 4, so anything can happen. Last year, Kirk Cousins found himself in a similar position, as the 2023 Vikings worked their way back to .500, following an 0-3 start to the season, before he tore his achilles and missed the rest of the season.
The perfect Minnesota Vikings QB for the perfect time
But the past is in the past, and the present is Sam Darnold. At this point, only the true haters think Darnold can’t play. As long as he stay healthy and continues to follow the path Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has laid out for him, there’s no reason to think we’ll see a huge fall from grace.
Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Vikings in Near-Collapse Victory @ Packers
Considering the rocky start to his career, it’s hard to believe we can reasonably say that, after just four weeks. Clearly, KOC targeted Darnold as his No. 1 bridge QB option, after Kirk Cousins left town. Now, we are seeing why.
He’s slipped seamlessly into the offense, giving the Vikings exactly what they needed to win games in 2024. And now, they’ve emerged 4-0, and one of the NFL’s top teams. Sam Darnold will aim to keep his NFL MVP momentum going next week, in London, where the Vikings will face a familiar foe, and his new(ish) team, the New York Jets.