The Seattle Seahawks grabbed one of the offseason’s most sought-after free agents when they signed Sam Darnold, but the quarterback is also surrounded by questions of whether he can follow up his unlikely breakout season.
Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 record and a wild-card berth in 2024, but both he and the Minnesota offense hit a wall at the end of the season, getting blown out by the Detroit Lions in the season finale before falling to the Los Angeles Rams in the opening round of the playoffs. Darnold struggled, taking nine sacks in the team’s 27-9 loss to end the season.
Darnold hopes to replicate his early season success with the Seahawks, but one analyst believes he could find difficulty holding onto the starting job.
Sam Darnold Under Pressure to Prove Himself
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay compiled a list of starting quarterbacks most likely to lose their jobs, putting Darnold at No. 5. Kay questioned the team’s decision to move on from veteran Geno Smith, who engineered his own late-career resurgence as a starter in Seattle.
Darnold comes to the Seahawks with an even flimsier resume, having lost his job as the starter with the New York Jets and bounced around the league in backup roles before being thrust into the No. 1 job with the Vikings last season after an injury to J.J. McCarthy.
“While Darnold had a relatively strong season with the Minnesota Vikings, the decision could come back to haunt the Seahawks,” Kay wrote. “Prior to his breakout campaign in the Twin Cities, the 28-year-old had spent time with three different clubs over the first six years of his career and failed to distinguish himself with any.
Some coaching changes in Seattle could create even more challenges for Darnold, Kay wrote.
“Factor in the coaching switch from Kevin OâConnellâa renowned quarterbacks whispererâto Mike Macdonald, a defensive-oriented head coach, and there’s a real chance Darnold returns to being a subpar starter in 2025,” Kay wrote.
Rookie Quarterback Could Push for Playing Time
Kay wrote that the team’s third-round pick, former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, could make a push for the starting job if Darnold should struggle.
“If thatâs the case, it wouldn’t be a shock to see third-round rookie Jalen Milroe get some run in the latter portion of the campaign as the team evaluates its future,” Kay wrote.
Milroe is expected to start the season at No. 3 on the depth chart, behind not only Darnold but also fellow veteran Drew Lock.
The Seahawks drafted the former Alabama quarterback to develop behind veteran Sam Darnold, and he is expected to fall behind Drew Lock as well. But ESPNâs Brady Henderson believes the Seahawks will find some creative ways to get Milroe onto the field, presenting him opportunities to prove himself and potentially vie for the starting job.
âMilroe, a third-round pick, should find his way onto the field as well, even as the third quarterback behind Darnold and Drew Lock,â Henderson wrote. âMilroe isnât going to push Darnold for the starting job anytime soon, but the Seahawks do plan to use him a handful of snaps a game in packages that take advantage of his stellar running ability. Spring practices didnât offer much of a glimpse of that as the Seahawks focused on installing their base offense, but that should change during camp.â
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