The fleeting moment of euphoria at U.S. Bank Stadium feels like a lifetime ago.

After the Minnesota Vikings hung on to beat the Green Bay Packers late last season, Sam Darnold was given a hero’s welcome as he entered the locker room. His teammates gathered in a circle, showered him with water and hoisted him upon their shoulders.

As the celebration began around him, Darnold tossed his hat in the air and let out a roar. It felt like a cathartic release for a journeyman quarterback who had almost universally been written off as a bust prior to a breakout campaign that came out of nowhere.

A couple of weeks later, Darnold was packing up his belongings at TCO Performance Center, left to process how a magical run with the Vikings came to an abrupt end following consecutive losses to the Detr

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