The Minnesota Vikings‘ 2024 campaign ended with a whimper, as they were blown out by the Los Angeles Rams on Wild Card Weekend, 27-9. Minnesota’s 14-3 regular-season record was ultimately misleading, as the piece once reviewed as the propeller for the Vikings’ success ended up being the reason the team broke down when it mattered most. 

Quarterback Sam Darnold put together a career year with 4,319 passing yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, but completely faltered down the stretch. In the pivotal Week 18 matchup vs. the Detroit Lions for the No. 1 seed in the NFC and the postseason loss on Monday night, Darnold completed 53% of his passes and averaged 5.1 yards per attempt after completing 68% of his passes with 8.2 yards per attempt in his first 16 games of the season. 

The former No. 3 overall pick is now a free agent, and his performance over the last two weeks cost him millions of dollars — if not his place in the Vikings’ plans altogether. If Darnold was allowed to walk in free agency, he’s expected to be replaced by the No. 10 overall pick in last year’s draft: Former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

Following the Vikings’ loss on Monday night, McCarthy posted an interesting message on social media: “Amor fati.”

“Amor fati” is a Latin phrase that means “love of fate” or “love of one’s fate.” It’s the mindset that you need to embrace both the good and bad moments in your life as part of the journey, because they are opportunities to learn.

It has certainly been a weird rookie season for McCarthy. After his preseason debut in which he threw two touchdowns, it was revealed that McCarthy suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee, and would miss the entire year. That opened the door for Darnold to take over as the unquestioned QB1, and he thrived until the month of January. 

Just a couple weeks ago, it appeared Darnold had secured his position as the Vikings’ quarterback of the future. Now, it’s unknown what direction Minnesota will go in.