While it’s human to assign heroes and villains, the reality is less nefarious. These wounds will heal. As Smith said Monday: “It’s just business, and that’s the way things work in the NFL. There are no hard feelings with anyone (in Seattle). I have a lot of love for everybody there, really. I think it’s just business. There’s new opportunity for everyone.”
That’s the more important point: Which side will better maximize this opportunity? The answer transcends a lazy quarterback comparison. Sam Darnold — the Seahawks’ chosen successor under center — showed plenty of promise in 2024, completing 66.2% of his passes while throwing for 4,319 yards with 35 touchdowns in a resurgent season with the Minnesota Vikings.
But can the former No. 3 overall pick — whose 12 interceptions were tied for fourth-most in the NFL — minimize his mistakes? Can he operate behind a maddeningly unproven offensive line? Can he master offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s system?
More importantly, can the Seahawks convert 10 draft picks — and roughly $36.1 million in cap space, according to overthecap.com, eighth-most in the NFL — into a roster for which their quarterback doesn’t need to save the day?
If general manager John Schneider does his job, Darnold shouldn’t have to be better than Smith.
He may not even have to be better to be a better fit.
“I’m most excited about the person, the leader, the teammate, that guy that we get to work with every day,” Macdonald said of Darnold in an interview on SiriusXM last week. “I think he’s in a great spot, from our conversations. I think he’s energized. He’s driven, just like the rest of us in the building. So he’s going to fit right in.”
Smith didn’t write back — again — effectively ending his story in Seattle. As the two-time Pro Bowler told SI: “Seattle was a great situation for me. But I think I found something maybe even better.”
He’s not a villain for pursuing, or believing he’s found, a better fit.
As for the Seahawks? Winning this trade is not as simple as acquiring an upgrade under center.
Mike Vorel: [email protected]. Mike Vorel joined The Seattle Times in July 2018, after spending three years writing about Notre Dame football for the South Bend (Ind.) Tribune. He knows now that umbrellas are overrated and the marine layer is merciless. As a sports columnist, he strives to tell essential stories you can’t find anywhere else.
