Vikings QB Sam Darnold named NFC Offensive Player of the Month

(ABC 6 News) — Vikings QB Sam Darnold has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for the month of September, the NFL announced on Thursday.

Leading the Vikings to their first 4-0 start since 2016, Darnold was 73-of-106 (68.9%) for 932 passing yards and 11 touchdowns in four games in September. He leads the NFL in touchdown passes, percentage of touchdowns thrown per attempt (10.4%) and passer rating (118.9), and ranks second in yards per attempt (8.8), trailing Brock Purdy (9.3).

Darnold’s 11 touchdown passes to start the season are three more than any other quarterback in the NFL (Baker Mayfield, eight), and tied Tommy Kramer (1986) and Kirk Cousins (2023) for the second-most touchdown passes through the first four games of a season in team history behind Daunte Culpepper’s 2004 performance (13 touchdown passes). Darnold was the only quarterback to record multiple passing touchdowns in every game to start the 2024 season, including recording four touchdown passes in Week 3 against Houston and three at Green Bay in Week 4.

Darnold, who became the first quarterback in franchise history to post a 100+ passer rating in each of the team’s first four games of a season, led a Vikings offense that averaged 29 points per game during the month of September. It marked the most points per game by Minnesota in Weeks 1-4 since the 2009 season (29.5).

The award is Darnold’s first Player of the Month accolade. He is the 13th different Viking to win NFC Offensive Player of the Month honors and the second player under Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell, joining WR Justin Jefferson (November, 2022).