Kevin Durant ranks Sam Darnold, Vikings as the best in the league
NBA superstar Kevin Durant is a massive Washington Commanders fan and has been enjoying his team's stunning start to the season with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. However, despite their 3-1 start and impressive Week 4 win over the Arizona Cardinals, the Phoenix Suns forward doesn't believe they are the best team in the league right now.
According to the two-time NBA champion, that distinction belongs to the Minnesota Vikings. During an appearance on the Up and Adams Show, host Kay Adams asked Durant which NFL team has impressed him the most so far. He responded:
"I would say Minnesota. I just think they're playing quality competition, and they're going to dominate."
The 14-time All-Star also heaped praise on quarterback Sam Darnold, claiming that the veteran always had the talent to be a star but struggled to find the right fit. He said:
"I would say Sam Donald is a player that surprised me this year. He has a talent, he was a top 5 pick. Might take a little bit longer for some quarterbacks to get to find that rhythm and understand the game, and it felt like he got it clicking right now, he's just playing solid football."
Heading into Week 4, the Vikings are one of only two undefeated teams in the league alongside the Kansas City Chiefs, largely due to Darnold's exceptional performances.
Sam Darnold stats: QB's MVP-level form
The Vikings expected to come into the season with former Michigan Wolverines star J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback. However, the rookie suffered a torn meniscus in the offseason, forcing Minnesota to defer to Sam Darnold, who has put together an MVP-caliber campaign through the first month of the season.
The former first-round pick has thrown 11 touchdown passes, the joint-most in the league alongside Baker Mayfield, who has played one game more, and is averaging 233 passing yards per game.
Darnold has completed an impressive 68.9% of his pass attempts and has the second-highest quarterback rating in the league among players with at least three starts with 74, trailing only Buffalo Bills superstar Josh Allen (82.4).
By every metric, the seven-year veteran is an MVP candidate. On Sunday, he'll look to continue his sensational form and exact some revenge when the Vikings take on his former team, the New York Jets, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England.