While the roller-coaster ride of Sam Darnold’s career is far from over, the cart has crawled up the tracks once more. In the last year alone, the former first-round pick has bounced from consensus bust to record-setting QB to playoff failure and, now, to a top 100 player in the NFL. How highly he’s ranked might turn some heads.
Darnold’s first appearance on the NFL’s Top 100 list, voted on by players, lands the QB at No. 72 overall.
So far, he’s ranked ahead of the only other quarterbacks on the list, Dak Prescott (No. 79) and Tua Tagovailoa (No. 91). Perhaps more surprising is Darnold’s placement over multiple defensive studs. He surpassed Trent McDuffie (No. 81), Cameron Heyward (No. 83), and Christian Gonzalez (No. 84)–all of whom received All-Pro honors last season.
“In his lone season with the Vikings, Darnold proved he could be a top quarterback in the right situation,” Christian Gonzales wrote for NFL.com. “Darnold produced career numbers across the board in passing yards, touchdowns and completion percentage, leading to his first Pro Bowl nod in his one-year stop in Minnesota. In the offseason, Darnold elected to move on from the Vikings as he signed a three-year, $100 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks. He’ll get a chance to showcase that his 2024 emergence wasn’t just a one-year wonder.”
What Former Teammates Are Saying
Several former Minnesota Vikings teammates were asked about Darnold’s inclusion on the Top 100 list and offered glowing praise. The most meaningful words came from star receiver Justin Jefferson.
“The record speaks for itself,” Jefferson said in a video released by the NFL. “Every receiver wants a quarterback with a strong arm, a quarterback that can throw it 60, 70 yards. He does it so effortlessly. He just flicks the wrist and it’s traveling 60 yards.”
Jefferson reflected fondly on his 97-yard TD connection with Darnold in Week 2 against San Francisco. “That probably was my favorite one,” Jefferson said. “It was a great throw by Sam, just kind of, you know, leading me to a spot and letting me go get it…Deep-throw accuracy is phenomenal.”
Vikings defensive players chimed in, too. “Sam had a hell of a year,” added linebacker Brian Asamoah II. “I was so happy because I was going against him every day in practice, and to see the level of trust he was getting from his teammates, the level of respect he was getting from the league, just goes into his hard work because he put the work in every day.”
Hoping to Expand His Success in Seattle
With a fresh start in Seattle, Darnold will look to replicate last year’s regular season success. The QB amassed 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdowns in 2024, ranking fifth in both categories.
Ideally, the season will end on a higher note. The last time Darnold took the field was in a woeful playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He was sacked nine times, tying an NFL record, and posted a QBR of just 13.6.
One of the biggest questions is whether Darnold’s success was a result of head coach Kevin O’Connell and having top-tier talent like Jefferson, or if it was a true career breakout.
Darnold’s new offensive weapons include Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, and Kenneth Walker III, some of whom may appear alongside Darnold on the Top 100 Players of 2025 list.
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