The rumors coming out of the 2025 NFL Combine in Indianapolis spurred action on Friday afternoon as the Los Angeles Rams finally found some common ground with franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford.

After granting Stafford permission to flirt with other NFL teams, the Rams ultimately agreed to a revised contract that will keep him in Los Angeles, which simultaneously keeps their Super Bowl window open.

This is good news for the Vikings.

Minnesota has spent this week at the NFL Combine trying to gauge the market for veteran quarterback Sam Darnold as they determine if they want to place the franchise tag on him.

At this point, if the Vikings decide to use the franchise tag on Darnold, it would most likely be because they have found a willing trade partner.

The deadline to use the franchise tag is Tuesday, so next week will bring some clarity to the situation.

Maybe the most important caveat in this whole equation is the fact that Darnold would have mutual interest in any team wanting to acquire him.

It’s unlikely that a team is going give up draft capital if Darnold is unwilling to sign a contract extension.

Here are some teams that would make sense for Darnold if the Vikings are able to execute a trade:

Titans

Equipped with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Titans are in position to select either Miami quarterback Cam Ward or Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, assuming they think either player is worth building around.

Even if the Titans swing for the fences and draft Ward or Sanders, however, it would still make sense for them to be interested in Darnold.

There’s a lot of value in bringing a rookie quarterback along slowly, especially considering Ward and Sanders seem like they could benefit from additional seasoning.

The fact the Titans already have polarizing quarterback Will Levis on the roster ahead of next season isn’t necessarily prohibitive.

If they feel like trading for Darnold would be worth it, they could move on from Levis without much issue.

Giants

After missing out on Stafford, the Giants are now reportedly setting their sights on maligned quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

A marriage of any sorts with the Giants would be pretty hilarious considering Rodgers most recently played for the Jets.

Though the Giants haven’t been tied to Darnold, they should keep their options open heading into next week, especially considering reserve quarterback Tommy DeVito is their only player at the position currently under contract.

Raiders

There was a brief period of time this week when it seemed as if Stafford might be heading to the Raiders. That’s no longer on the table, so the Raiders must pivot — and they reportedly have some interest in Darnold.

The biggest reason to trade for Darnold would be to make sure they they don’t have compete with anybody else for him. There a a number of teams that will be interested in Darnold if he reaches free agency, so this would give the Raiders a chance to jump the line.

Undoubtedly, Darnold would be a better option for the Raiders than veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew or young quarterback Aidan O’Connell.

Steelers

If the Steelers are, in fact, interested in Darnold, they can control their destiny by going out and trading for him.

It’s basically the same thought process as the Raiders getting aggressive and making a move for his services. In a perfect world for the Vikings, the Steelers and Raiders will bid against each other.

The other option for the Steelers is running it back with veteran quarterback Russell Wilson or young quarterback Justin Fields.