Sam Darnold didn’t torpedo his potentialities at an infinite payday after two unhealthy video video games to finish the season … at least that’s what NFL super-agent Leigh Steinberg thinks — telling TMZ Sports activities actions he believes the Minnesota Vikings will persist with him as a result of the franchise quarterback.

Darnold — the No. 3 complete resolve in 2018 — had a occupation resurgence inside the 2024-25 advertising and marketing marketing campaign … throwing for larger than 4,300 yards and 35 touchdowns as he led the Vikes to a 14-3 file.

His scorching streak fizzled out down stretch, though … with the crew’s Great Bowl needs coming to an end after a poor outing in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams inside the Wild Card spherical on Monday.

All that being talked about, Steinberg believes the group will check out the huge picture — not merely Darnold’s last two video video games — and might lastly resolve to take care of No. 14 beneath coronary heart, no matter having first-round resolve J.J. McCarthy on the roster.

“I really feel so on the end of the day,” Steinberg says, “on account of for individuals who take his full physique of labor, it carried out very properly and he was every bit a franchise quarterback — he lit it up all through the season.”

Steinberg — the real-life inspiration for the movie “Jerry Maguire” — added the Vikes can’t be too thrilled with how Darnold carried out in Week 18 in opposition to the Detroit Lions and in Monday’s 27-9 loss … nonetheless feels they understand it could not replicate what he is ready to doing on the gridiron.

If that’s what Minnesota ends up doing, a pleasing enhance will in all probability be on the horizon for Darnold … as he was on a one-year, $10 million deal sooner than his complete stellar 2024 season.

Steinberg’s guess is pretty educated — in any case, he’s repped big names like Patrick Mahomes, Troy Aikman and Steve Youthful … so he’s conscious of the ins and outs of the NFL.