The postgame speech from head coach Kevin O’Connell had to be delayed on Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Never mind that the music blared in the locker room after the Vikings held on for a 27-25 win over the Green Bay Packers. The celebration couldn’t officially commence until quarterback Sam Darnold finished up a postgame interview with Fox analyst Tom Brady on the television broadcast.

After going back and forth with the GOAT for a few minutes, Darnold thanked Brady for his time, then made his way back to the locker room as fast as he could to celebrate with his teammates.

“We felt like we waited for a long time,” O’Connell said with a laugh. “I certainly wasn’t going to interrupt that conversation.”

With the Vikings anxiously waiting for Darnold to arrive, edge rusher Jonathan Greenard came up with a plan. The directive was simple. As soon as Darnold walked in, everybody would form a circle, then douse him with water bottles.

It went off without a hitch, as Darnold was absolutely soaked in no time flat.

“It was mayhem,” Darnold said. “I think I blacked out.”

As the water bottles started to fly, defensive tackle Harrison Phillips and running back Aaron Jones collectively called an audible at the last second, hoisting Darnold up onto their shoulders while chaos ensued around them.

“I didn’t know what to do with my hands in that situation,” Darnold said with a smile while referencing “Talladega Nights” protagonist Ricky Bobby. “It was a fun moment to be embraced by my teammates like that.”

The pure unadulterated joy on Darnold’s face said more than words ever could. He flung his hat into the air, slicked back his hair, and let out a roar. His teammates jumped up and down while chanting the chorus from “Many Men” by 50 Cent.

As the celebration unfolded in front of him, O’Connell stood off to the side by himself, smiling and shaking his head. He looked very much like a proud father as he allowed himself to soak in the moment.

It was a manifestation of the culture he had worked so hard to build.

“It’s everything we’ve work towards with a goal in mind,” O’Connell said. “A million little things that we think about coming together in that moment.”

There should no longer be any doubt that with Darnold at the helm the Vikings have everything they need.

It’s not so much the numbers, though Darnold has been impressive on that front, completing 343 of 504 passes for 4,153 yards and 35 touchdowns.

It’s the vibe the Vikings have about them as they continue rallying around the man who has become their unquestioned leader.

Naturally, as Darnold has continued to build on his success, the conversation has shifted into a debate about his future with the Vikings. Those choosing to get caught up in that discourse are missing something special happening right in front of their face.

This isn’t about what the Vikings should or shouldn’t do this offseason. This is about what the Vikings are capable of doing over the next couple of months.

This is a legitimate Super Bowl contender in position to lock up the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs next week.

All of that is possible because of how well Darnold is playing and how much his teammates have embraced him. Asked to describe Darnold’s success to this point, star receiver Justin Jefferson might have put it best, saying, “He fits perfectly here.”

The scene in the locker room on Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium proved exactly that.

It’s only right that after Darnold has lifted the Vikings up so many times this season that his teammates returned the favor.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) passes the ball against the Green Bay Packers in the third quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. The Vikings edged the Packers, 27-25. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

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