We like the move the Seattle Seahawks made going from Geno Smith to Sam Darnold at quarterback. However, we are definitely in the minority on that opinion when it comes to evaluating the change and how Darnold fits with Seattle. Specifically, most NFL analysts seem to believe that Darnold can't possibly thrive without a superstar wide receiver to throw to, a good offensive line in front of him and a great playcaller on top of it all.
The latest entry into the series of articles bashing the Darnold-Seahawks pairing comes from Matt Johnson at Sportsnaut, who's named Darnold one of the biggest losers in free agency.
"To make matters worse, Darnold has chosen to sign with a team that had one of the worst interior offensive lines in the NFL last season. Seattle did nothing to address it in free agency and they traded away DK Metcalf. So, Darnold loses a top-three playcaller (Kevin O'Connell), and joins a team with a bottom-10 offensive line and a below-average receiving corps."
It's fair (and fun) to fling mud at the Seahawks for failing to address their offensive line once again. That said, we disagree that they have a below-average WR group - and keep in mind there's still a draft to come, where they'll almost certainly look to add a long-term replacement for DK no later than Day 2.
Beyond that, once again these analyses all seem to ignore the exceptional work that Darnold did most of the 2024 season - including significant improvements against pressure and playing the kind of backyard ball he'll have to often in Seattle. Instead, they focus on either the first three years of his career with the Jets or the last two games he played with the Vikings.
Yes, Darnold struggled in Week 18 against the Detroit Lions - who probably would have won the Super Bowl if they hadn't been devastated by injuries. Yes, Darnold also struggled in the Wild Card game against the LA Rams - who had been playing sensational ball down the stretch, winning five games in a row before they rested their starters against the Seahawks in their regular season finale.
That was also Darnold's first careerplayoff game, where it's normal for even very-gifted quarterbacks to have bad performances. Lamar Jackson also had issues in his first several postseason games, and nobody who knows ball thinks he's any less than a top-three quarterback on the planet.
Darnold is not that, but he did take an exceptional step forward last season - and to think that he'll fail without an elite supporting cast around him misses the mark. Yes, the offensive line still needs to be fixed - but that would have been just as true if they had kept Geno Smith and they'd have significantly less cap room to work with and one less third-round pick.
