The Green Bay Packers had a good year in 2024. They finished 11-6, made the playoffs, and are in great position to add to their roster this offseason. But while most franchises would take that, it comes with a caveat: It was only good enough for third place in the toughest division in football.
The NFC North is loaded heading into next season and has a chance to get stronger over the next couple of weeks. The Detroit Lions are in pursuit of a blockbuster trade and the Minnesota Vikings are legitimate contenders after finishing last season with a 14-3 record. Even the Chicago Bears are dangerous with Caleb Williams at quarterback and a pair of big moves to open the offseason.
But while everyone sees a gauntlet, there’s one team that could become weaker in the coming days. It could open the door for the Packers to climb back into contention and present the opportunity to get the best of one of their biggest rivals.
Vikings Could Lose Sam Darnold to the Seahawks After Geno Smith Trade
The NFL was shaken up on Friday night when the Seattle Seahawks traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a third-round pick in next month’s draft. The deal doesn’t directly affect the Packers but it put the Seahawks into the market for a quarterback and – according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero – Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.
With the Geno Smith trade opening a spot in Seattle, Sam Darnold is not expected to return to the #Vikings, who are now focused on other options they’ve been pursuing in recent weeks, sources tell The Insiders.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 8, 2025
Those options include re-signing Daniel Jones, who is mulling… pic.twitter.com/TYhgG9jPhf
Pelissero reported on Saturday that Darnold is not expected to return to the Vikings next season, and Minnesota is focused on other options as free agency approaches. Darnold just had a dream season on a one-year contract with the Vikings, completing 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. While a similar season helped Baker Mayfield earn a free-agent contract from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Vikings have the 10th overall pick from last year’s draft, J.J. McCarthy, waiting in the wings.
The Vikings have reportedly worked toward retaining Darnold but it’s unlikely to be at a large salary or a long-term commitment. The Seahawks have no such issues after Friday’s trade and now have $62.5 million in cap space to give Darnold Spotrac’s projected market value of $40.1 million per season.
That move would give the Seahawks an answer at quarterback but would cloud things for the Vikings. While McCarthy has returned to on-field training after missing last season with a torn meniscus, he also needs reps to complete his development. The Vikings have also been connected to Daniel Jones and even Aaron Rodgers as a potential backup to McCarthy.
It’s a scenario where no matter what the Vikings do at quarterback, they’ll be behind the MVP-level of play Darnold provided last season. That could put Minnesota behind in a dangerous division and allow the Packers to make a jump in 2025.