The Seattle Seahawks replaced Geno Smith with Sam Darnold, who is coming off a breakout year with the Minnesota Vikings.
However, Darnold’s success in Minnesota doesn’t guarantee he’ll be the same guy in Seattle. That’s because Darnold doesn’t have as good of a supporting cast thanks to a lackluster receiving group and offensive line. He also remains unproven, as his breakout 2024 campaign was the only good year of his career.
If things turn out the way ESPN’s Mike Clay projects, Darnold is going to have a tough time in 2025.
In Clay’s 2025 stat predictions, he has Darnold tossing 12 picks, tied for the second-most in the NFL. But, that isn’t even the worst projection Clay has for the veteran signal-caller.
He also predicts that no quarterback in the NFL will get sacked more than Darnold, who is projected to get taken down 42 times.
Unfortunately, both of those are realistic projections. Darnold tossed 12 picks last season with the Vikings, and the Seahawks got their quarterbacks sacked 54 times during the 2024 campaign, which was tied for the third-most in the NFL.
Despite adding Grey Zabel, who is no sure thing in his first season, the Seahawks still have plenty of question marks upfront in guys like Christian Haynes, Olu Oluwatimi and Abraham Lucas. The jury is still out on Haynes and Oluwatimi being starting-caliber players, and Lucas has injury concerns.
If the Seahawks can’t protect Darnold and his receivers can’t get open quickly, it could be a rough year for the veteran and, in turn, a brief stint as the Seahawks’ starter if Jalen Milroe proves to be ready in 2026.
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