Mike Macdonald certainly is grateful to the Minnesota Vikings for ditching quarterback Sam Darnold in the offseason, even if the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks still can’t understand the logic behind that decision.
Darnold revived his career with a Pro Bowl campaign as a member of the Vikings in 2024, but a nightmare two-game stretch to close that season condemned him to free agency. The Seahawks profited, and Macdonald couldn’t be clearer about what he thought of the Vikings’ decision and those two disastrous games.
Speaking ahead of Darnold’s reunion with the Vikes at Lumen Field in Week 13, Macdonald put it bluntly, “It’s a little narrow-minded. You’re just going to go off a two-game sample? When we were looking into possibly trying to get Sam, to a person, the type of player and teammate he was on a daily basis was really cool,” per Alec Lewis and Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic.
He showed some erratic tendencies to close his career with the Vikings but Macdonald was convinced “Then you watch the totality of the tape — there’s a lot of great things going on in the red zone, on third down, two-minute, on the move; we know he’s a great thrower on the move. All those things shined through.”
What’s interesting here is while the Seahawks have benefited from some short-sightedness by the Vikings, there have still been signs of Darnold self-destructing in big games.
Sam Darnold, Vikings Going in Opposite Directions
Things are looking up for Darnold since signing with the Seahawks, but it’s a different story for the Vikings. They are 4-7 and paying a heavy price for taking a short-term view of Darold’s potential.
As Lewis and Dugar put it, “From Weeks 10 through 17 of the 2024 season, Darnold completed 67.5 percent of his passes and threw for 2,012 yards with an 18-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Everything was on display: layered deep balls, subtle pocket movements, pre-snap orchestration. His command helped create one of the NFL’s most explosive passing games.”
GettySam Darnold changed narratives about his talent during his time with the Vikings.
Those perceptions shifted radically once Darnold struggled mightily against the Detroit Lions in Week 18. Then he fell flat against the Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs.
The Vikings’ response was swift and final, but there may be an element of regret. Particularly when “Some inside the building pushed to keep Darnold, thinking that with more time in the system, his professionalism and experience would matter more than a couple of free-agent signings,” per Lewis and Dugar.
A sense of regret is palpable when Vikings All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson is still talking up Darnold’s talents. It’s also easy to believe Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell will be having second and third thoughts about letting Darnold go when he’s sending an undrafted passer out to face a tough Seahawks defense posting crazy numbers.
O’Connell’s feelings can be contrasted by Macdonald wanting to pat himself on the back for his faith in Darnold’s upside. Yet, the Seahawks shouldn’t get too self-congratulatory, based on some recent warning signs about their QB1.
Seahawks Still Have Reason to Worry About Starting QB
A four-interception game against NFC West rivals the Rams in Week 11 reminded people about the worst of Darnold. So did some lucky escapes to avoid turnover-worthy plays during a narrow win over the Tennessee Titans last week.
There’s still a feeling Darnold can be rattled by pressure and become reckless with his throws. That’s a theory Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is promising to test on Sunday, November 30.
Darnold’s history of compounding mistakes in key moments remains the underlying worry the Seahawks can’t ignore. It could prove fatal for a team otherwise equipped to still be active deep into the postseason.
The Vikings felt they couldn’t take the same risk after last season, but the Seahawks have been content to trust Darnold will evolve.
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