Sam Darnold threw for 347 yards and five touchdowns, both career highs, and the Minnesota Vikings pulled away from the Atlanta Falcons 42-21 for their sixth straight victory on Sunday.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke at length about Darnold at his Monday afternoon news conference in Eagan. 

***Click the video box above to watch O’Connell’s news conference from Mon. Dec. 9th***

Darnold currently ranks sixth in the NFL in passing yards (3,299) and tied for third in passing touchdowns (28). 

He’s a big reason why the Vikings are 11-2, possessing one of the best records in the league.

Darnold joined the Vikings in March as a free agent, signing a 1-year, $10M contract. In other words, he’s set to become a free agent again in March.

But could the Vikings a) put the franchise tag on Darnold, or b) sign him to a long-term extension? That remains to be seen after the Vikings used a first round pick in April on QB J.J. McCarthy.