The time to make a decision on how they'll handle their quarterback position is fast approaching. Whether Minnesota will bring back Sam Darnold or venture forth into the J.J. McCarthy era is the question that looms over everything else on the organization's to-do list this offseason.

"Kevin O'Connell told us Sam Darnold has earned the right to be a free agent," Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio said Feb. 12 on "The Rich Eisen Show ." "That's a way of saying we're not going to use the franchise tag because we don't want to pay him 40 million.

O’Connell topped runner-up Dan Campbell (Lions), third-place finisher Andy Reid (Chiefs), fourth-place finisher Sean Payton (Denver Broncos) and fifth-place finisher Dan Quinn (Washington Commanders) for the award. O’Connell received 25 of the 50 first-place votes and finished no lower than third on a ballot.