The Seattle Seahawks made one of the biggest moves of the early part of free agency when they signed quarterback Sam Darnold to a 3-year, $100.5 million contract. Darnold had a brilliant season for the Minnesota Vikings, stepping into the breech when rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered a preseason meniscus injury and was lost for the season.
Darnold had been rather ordinary in six seasons with the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers. He had never given any indication that he was ready to become an elite passer and a Pro Bowl quarterback, but that’s just what happened with the Vikings last season.
Darnold completed 361 of 545 passes for 4,319 yards with 35 TD passes and just 12 interceptions. Darnold also showed off his athleticism as he was able to buy time with his quick feet and avoid the pass rush. His rushing total of 212 yards was not overly impressive, but he secured 23 first downs when he decided to run out of the pocket with the ball under his arm.
Darnold made just $10 million during the 2024 season in Minnesota. His salary will go up dramatically in 2025 as he will earn $33.5 million. He will also get the No. 14 jersey that he wore with the Vikings last season. That number had belonged to star wide receiver DK Metcalf prior to Darnold’s arrival, but the wideout is now an ex-Seahawk. He will be playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers next season.
Darnold almost certainly would have had to change his number had Metcalf not been traded to the Steelers. Quarterbacks can often entice a teammate to give up a number after signing a big-money contract, but Metcalf may not have been willing to give up his number if he remained with Seattle.
Huge expectations for Darnold with the Seahawks
The Seahawks finished the 2024 NFL season with a 10-7 record, which was the same as the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams. The Rams earned the division championship because they had the edge over the Seahawks in the strength of victory category.
The two teams split the season series and had the same records against the division (4-2) and conference opponents (6-6). The Seahawks are hoping that the presence of Darnold will give their offense a significant upgrade. Many observers are quite skeptical because Darnold had his success under the leadership of known quarterback whisperer Kevin O’Connell.
There are questions about whether can sustain his success if he doesn’t have O’Connell to lean on and work with on a regular basis. Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald is coming off a winning season after his first year as an NFL head coach, but he is considered an analytical head coach and not necessarily a quarterback guru.
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