ESPN’s Mina Kimes: Seahawks Got Sam Darnold Right After Overrating Geno Smith

ESPN analyst Mina Kimes used a recent podcast appearance to tee off on Geno Smith’s situation with the Las Vegas Raiders while laying out why the Seattle Seahawks look right to have moved on with Sam Darnold.

Kimes broke down Darnold’s ugly four-interception loss to the Los Angeles Rams, pushed back on the “choker” label and then contrasted his situation in Seattle with what she called a “nonfunctional” offensive environment around Geno.

Kimes Sees a Clear Seahawks Upgrade From Geno to Darnold

Kimes started with Darnold’s latest meltdown against the Rams and connected it directly to his playoff loss to Los Angeles last season. She said the interceptions weren’t random; the Rams hit the same nerve both times.

According to Kimes, the Rams repeatedly showed blitz, dropped defenders out and created interior pressure with line games and simulated pressures. Darnold consistently struggled once the rush flashed in his face, forcing throws instead of living for the next snap. In her words, that’s a specific recurring issue, not just a “big-game choker” narrative.

From there, she flipped to the Seahawks’ quarterback decision and how Geno Smith has fared since landing with the Raiders. The verdict was harsh on Las Vegas.

Kimes called the Raiders’ offensive line “nonfunctional,” putting them right near the bottom of the league and pointing to injuries across the unit, including at left tackle and guard. She stressed that this doesn’t absolve Geno — he’s making bad decisions and missing throws he hit in Seattle — but said the Raiders basically took the worst version of the old Seahawks offense and “made everything about it worse.”

Seattle’s offense when it stagnated was shotgun-heavy, couldn’t run the ball and leaned into risky throws. In Kimes’ view, Las Vegas has recreated that environment with even worse blocking, and Geno’s existing tendency toward risky balls has been amplified in all the wrong ways.

She also admitted she “underestimated some signs of regression” with Geno and said that, in hindsight, the Raiders choosing not to improve the offensive line and instead taking a step back there “looks like one of the worst decisions of the NFL offseason.”

Why Seattle Is Built to Win With Sam Darnold

On the Seahawks side, Kimes argued that Seattle has quietly built exactly the kind of ecosystem Darnold needs.

She highlighted a revamped offensive line, including a first-round pick on the interior and a fully healthy Abe Lucas, as the “biggest improvement” from last season. She said it’s “obvious” on tape that the pass protection is better and the run game is more functional.

Then there’s the scheme fit. Kimes noted that the Seahawks hired Klint Kubiak to run a system Darnold already knows, emphasizing big bodies, play-action and an offense that doesn’t ask him to be a pure dropback hero every snap.

The third pillar is the weapons. Kimes said Jaxon Smith-Njigba is “taking a leap into becoming like maybe the best receiver in the NFL,” giving Darnold a true No. 1 target in a formation-heavy, play-action attack.

And behind all of that, she circled back to Mike Macdonald’s defense, calling Seattle’s unit “awesome” and a legitimate best-in-the-league contender. Because the Seahawks often play from even or ahead, Kimes said, the complementary-football setup makes life easier on Darnold than it ever was for Geno — and that’s exactly why the Seahawks look right to have turned the page.

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