New Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold did not like the way the 2024 NFL season ended for him and the Minnesota Vikings.
Darnold left the Vikings after one season, a year that saw him put up the best stats of his professional career. He led Minnesota to a 14-3 finish in the regular season, but their playoff run came to an abrupt end after a 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card round.
Darnold reflected on the season during his introductory press conference for the Seahawks on Thursday. A reporter brought up the question 14 minutes into the event, which the quarterback was appreciative to oblige and answer.
“I was waiting for someone to bring that up,” Darnold said while flanked on stage by coach Mike Macdonald and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. “I appreciate that.
“No, it's fair, man. You get all the way to that point, you have the season that we had offensively, as a team, and then you run into at the end of the day. Only one team can win the Super Bowl and unfortunately, we weren't that team.”
Sam Darnold aims to help Seahawks after Vikings stint
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Sam Darnold wished things ended on a better note for him and the Vikings, considering his rise as one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. However, it wasn't meant to be, as he'll embrace the next chapter of his career with the Seahawks.
One year with the Vikings showed what Darnold can do at his best. Playing the entire regular season, he completed 361 passes for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns. This marks career highs across the board, showcasing his ability to have the offense explode with multiple scores throughout every game.
He'll look to bring that momentum over to a Seattle offense that ranked 18th in points per game last season. They also ranked 14th in total yards, eighth in total passing yards, and 28th in total rushing yards.
The Seahawks finished 10-7 in 2024, falling short of the postseason due to tiebreaker rules being in favor of their division rival, the Los Angeles Rams.
