Despite the difficult end to the 2024 season, Sam Darnold's overall performance is likely to result in him receiving a nice contract in free agency

The Minnesota Vikings pulled off one of the best regular seasons in franchise history, but were still stuck in the No. 5 seed of the NFC playoff race as the Detroit Lions took the No. 1 seed and NFC North crown.

Darnold signed with the Vikings ahead of the 2024 season, inking a one-year, $10 million contract with the NFC North squad. Before joining the Vikings, Darnold played three years for the New York Jets, two years for the Carolina Panthers and one with the San Francisco 49ers .

Darnold is now making the most of his time off ahead of what should be a very interesting offseason. On Friday, his girlfriend, Katie Hoofnagle, took to Instagram to share an offseason update on the former USC star. Apparently, Darnold appears to have taken up a new hobby.

The NFC North had a terrific regular season and a tough playoffs. Here's what life could look like in 2025 for the NFC North.

The NFC North produced three playoff teams, two teams with 14 or more wins and the conference’s No. 1 seed — creating a historic, never-before-seen regular season inside the division. Then the playoffs began, and it all fell apart in stunning fashion. Not a single team from the NFC North won a playoff game.

The NFC North was the best division in the NFL this season, which featured three playoff teams and then the Chicago Bears, who went 5-12 in a disappointing season.

McCarthy has undergone two knee surgeries, repairing a torn meniscus that knocked him out for the season. The former national championship-winning passer, however, is back on the field doing QB drills, Adofo-Mensah said ( via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert ), with the GM indicating the 2024 No. 10 overall pick is on schedule.

PackersNews columnist Pete Dougherty spent Wednesday answering reader questions during the Packers' offseason.

How do they place a 14-win season in the context of their roster timeline? The problem with winning 14 games when you had something like a 1% chance of winning 14 games is that lightning does not often strike the same spot twice.

Fans saw two completely different games on Conference Championship Sunday. The Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Washington Commanders, 55-23, in the NFC

The Minnesota Vikings and Sam Darnold got more out of each other than anyone thought they would in 2024. Darnold would end up becoming an MVP candidate, while the team went an astounding 14-3