Sam Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The list of teams interested in Sam Darnold just got an addition and it’s a surprising one.

Darnold is set to become a free agent after an excellent season with the Minnesota Vikings and should be able to land a big contract in a market that includes a lot of quarterback-needy teams. On Sunday we learned of a shocking team that is expected to make an offer to the 27-year-old.

The Athletic’s Dianna Russini is reporting the Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to make an offer to Darnold. Though most around the league expect him to wind up with the Seattle Seahawks, the Steelers are a fascinating entrant into the Darnold sweepstakes.

The Steelers are expected to make an offer to pending free agent Sam Darnold, per source.

Many around the league believe Darnold will wind up in Seattle, but Pittsburgh is doing its due diligence on any potential options ahead of the new league year.

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 9, 2025

Conventional wisdom had the Steelers re-signing Justin Fields and turning the offense over to him after he spent most of 2024 backing up Russell Wilson. Wilson is hitting free agency as well, and the telegraphed move was for Fields to be back in Pittsburgh.

This Darnold report adds a wrinkle, though. After the Seahawks traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders they have been seen as the most likely destination for Darnold. The Tennessee Titans would also make sense. The Steelers are surprising.

Darnold was in his first season with the Vikings in 2024 and shined. He completed 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards, with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He set career-highs in every major category, including passer rating (102.5) and QBR (60.4). The Vikings opted against bringing him back as former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy appears ready to take over.

It appears multiple teams are chasing Darnold and that group now includes the Steelers.