While the Seattle Seahawks didn’t miss the playoffs by much in 2024, the team decided to make massive changes to their roster this offseason, including at the most important position in professional sports.
Back in March, Seattle sent starting quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round pick (No. 92 overall). This came after Smith led Seattle to a 27-22 record and made two Pro Bowls since taking over as the full-time starter in 2022.
To replace Smith, the Seahawks signed Sam Darnold, the top quarterback on the free-agent market, to a three-year, $100.5 million contract. While Darnold could be an upgrade over Smith, Yardbarker’s Seth Trachtman recently called it one of the most head-scratching moves of the offseason.
“Darnold revived his career in Minnesota last offseason, and was rewarded with a massive three-year deal in Seattle,” Trachtman wrote. “Seahawks fans do have reason to be nervous, as Darnold floundered down the stretch, and had the benefit of quarterback whisperer Kevin O’Connell. The team is putting a lot on the back of Darnold, replacing the more consistent Geno Smith.”
Darnold, 27, was originally a first-round pick (No. 3 overall) of the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL draft out of USC, where he earned All-Pac-12 honors in his final collegiate season.
After flaming out with the Jets, Darnold was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021 and two years later he spent a season as a backup with the San Francisco 49ers.
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Last year, Darnold inked a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings, and when first-round pick J.J. McCarthy tore his ACL in the preseason, he was thrust into a starting job and found success in the NFL for the first time.
In 2024, he started all 17 games for Minnesota, completing 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while leading the team to a 14-3 record and a playoff berth. However, he struggled in the team’s 31-9 loss to the Detroit Lions in the wild-card round, completing just 43.9% of his passes for 166 yards and no touchdowns.
At this point in their careers, Darnold’s ceiling is probably higher than Smith’s, but his floor is definitely lower, so it’s not hard to see why some would question the decision-making.
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