Quarterback Sam Darnold will likely be the next NFL quarterback to make a lot of money in free agency. The Minnesota Vikings have a tough decision to make in the months ahead after their lopsided NFL wild-card round exit on Monday night on whether to keep Darnold or let him go.

A dream season for the Minnesota Vikings ended brutally on Monday night, as Minnesota lost to the Los Angeles Rams 27-9. Despite winning 14 games in the regular season, Sam Darnold and the Vikings will be watching the Divisional Round from the couch along with the rest of us.

At the dawn of the new year, Sam Darnold was a folk hero in Minnesota. Not only did the quarterback -- no longer locally branded a reclamation project, but rather a full-blown, high-octane Pro Bowler -- sweep the rival Green Bay Packers to give the Vikings their best regular-season record in 16 years,