The New York Jets made him the third overall draft pick in 2018, the then-latest product of the quarterback factory that is the University of Southern California. But like many USC quarterbacks before him, Sam Darnold never lived up to his hype in the NFL.
After three seasons with the Jets in which he managed to lead the team to just 13 wins, New York moved on from Darnold, trading him to the Carolina Panthers for three draft picks.
Next stop, after just two years with the Panthers, was San Francisco where Darnold was consigned to a backup role behind Brock Purdy. That lasted one season and then, moving to his fourth team in just seven years, Darnold signed on with the Minnesota Vikings and finally looked like a quarterback worthy of the high draft pick he was six years earlier.
Darnold put together a career year, taking the Vikings to a 14-3 record and a playoff game, which they lost to the Los Angeles Rams. Darnold wasn’t great in that one, completing just 25 of 40 passes for 245 yards with an interception and one touchdown in the 27-9 loss.
But his dud in the playoffs did not seem to hurt Darnold. The Seahawks signed the free agent Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract, clearly with high hopes that he could duplicate his performance with the Vikings â and do better once the team reached the playoffs.
Darnold’s ‘Up and Down’ Day at First Open OTA
With Seattle’s season opener more than three months away, there has been nothing to indicate whether or not Darnold will live up to his nine-figure billing. But his first public appearance as the Seahawks quarterback came on Monday, and it definitely did not go the way Darnold, or coach Mike Macdonald hoped or expected.
In the Seahawks fourth organized team activity (OTA) practice, but first that was open to media observers, Darnold had what ESPN Seahawks beat reporter Brady Henderson called “an up and down day.”
In a seven-on-seven Red Zone session, Darnold threw not one but two interceptions in what Henderson described as “a short span.”
“Safety Julian Love made one of the interceptions, with cornerback Josh Jobe getting the other,” recounted Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
“On one hand, it doesnât mean much when projecting what will happen when itâs time to play games that count,” Florio added. “On the other hand, itâs all anyone has for now to assess how Darnold is doing, as he settles in with his fifth team in eight years.”
It wasn’t all bad for Darnold. According to Henderson, “Darnold bounced back after what sounded like some good-natured ribbing from OC Klint Kubiak.”
The 27-year-old native of San Clemente, California, tossed touchdown passes to undrafted free agent Tyrone Broden, and another to former Los Angeles Rams star Cooper Kupp â who signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the Seahawks in the offseason. Two more touchdown passes followed, “but all told, several plays died with Darnold holding onto the ball,” Henderson reported.
Both Darnold’s and Kupp’s contracts have “outs” for the team after one year.
Veteran QB Got ‘the Yips’ in Biggest Game of His Life
Even prior to the playoff defeat last year, Darnold showed signs of collapse, according to Florio.
In a game that would determine the No. 1 seed in the NFC, Darnold and the Vikings were dominated by the Detroit Lions, 31-9.
“In the biggest game of his career, Darnold developed a case of the yips,” Florio wrote. “A game that could have delivered the No. 1 seed ended in a loss â followed by a one-and-done playoff exit.”
Darnold completed a season low 44 percent of his passes in that game, missing on two short potential TD throws from well inside Detroit’s five-yard line.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Seahawks $105 Million QB Suffers Embarrassing First Public Outing appeared first on Heavy Sports.