Samuel Richard Darnold is an American professional football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans and was selected third overall by the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL draft. At age 21, he was the NFL's youngest opening-day starting quarterback since the AFL–NFL merger. Darnold served as the Jets' starter from 2018 to 2020, but due to inconsistent play and injuries, he was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021. Following two seasons with the Panthers, he joined the San Francisco 49ers for one season as a backup. He signed with the Vikings in 2024.