The football world was witness to one of the most unprecedented career comebacks of all time last season when Sam Darnold led the Minnesota Vikings to not only a surprising playoff appearance but also an even more impressive 14-win season when nobody expected the Vikings to account for more than eight wins.
Darnold was immaculate throughout the season accounting for a 66% completion percentage with 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdowns to only 12 interceptions.
However, the story of Darnold’s breakout came to a dramatic hush at the end of the season. At season’s end, the Vikings fell to their division rivals, the Detroit Lions, a loss that not only cost them the NFC North division crown, but it sent them on the road for the playoffs.
The next week, the Vikings would fall to the Los Angeles Rams. Darnold, throughout those final two weeks, accumulated a meager 451 yards to one touchdown and one interception. The biggest number though would be the 11 sacks that Darnold took during those two weeks.
Darnold took too many hits during that final stretch — do not let anybody tell you that he did not. There is an argument to be made for the abysmal play of the Vikings’ offensive line during that time, meaning that Darnold’s failure to acknowledge pressure properly and the Vikings’ offensive line are both to blame can be true.
One of the biggest offseason stories was whether the Vikings would choose to pay Darnold handsomely for his awe-inspiring efforts during most of the season or if they would opt to go into 2025 with their former first-round quarterback, J.J. McCarthy.
The choice ended up being the latter and Minnesota let Darnold walk during free agency where he would sign with the Seattle Seahawks on a three-year contract.
Sam Darnold Will Be an NFL MVP Finalist in 2025
The way that Darnold’s contract is structured means that the Seahawks can release him after 2025 with little repercussions.
That being said, I truly believe we are witnessing Sam Darnold stake his claim as a talented signal caller who will lead the Seahawks for years to come and ultimately finish as an MVP finalist in Seattle.
The Seahawks Have Built a Strong Roster Around Darnold
One can easily argue that Darnold is walking into a worse situation with the Seahawks than the one he was in during his tenure with the Vikings, and you would be right!
When you go from having Justin Jefferson and a quarterback whisperer as head coach to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and a defensive-oriented head coach in Mike Macdonald, you will notice a drop-off in the environment around you. However, do not underestimate the talent that Seattle does possess.
While Smith-Njigba has a long way to go before he is on Justin Jefferson’s level, he has the talent necessary to be a No. 1 receiver in the NFL and one that can properly support Darnold. Not only this, but the Seahawks managed to sign former Triple Crown winner Cooper Kupp.
Kupp may not be the elite receiver he once was at the age of 31, but he can still provide a solid floor as the WR2 in the Seahawks’ offense and excellent leadership for young up-and-comers like Jake Bobo.
The Seahawks also brought in a deep threat for Darnold in the form of speedster Marquez Valdes-Scantling who, with the names listed above, provides a solid receiving core alongside tight end Noah Fant.
The biggest concern with the Seahawks was their offensive line as the unit finished 31st in the league with 54 sacks allowed last year. During the draft, Seattle would address this need in the form of North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel who they selected with the 18th pick of the first round.
Zabel will slot in as the team’s starting left guard but instantly boosts the depth on Seattle’s line with his ability to play virtually every spot on the line at a high level. Both starting tackles from last season Abraham Lucas and Charles Cross are healthy coming into the season and Olu Oluwatimi began to show promise down the stretch last season at center. This unit will be improved enough for Darnold to settle in nicely in his role in Seattle.
When you look at the Seahawks’ defense, this unit has everything you should want as a fan — a young core with the right coach that can elevate them to be an elite unit.
Defensive Tackle Byron Murphy II was terrific, to say the least, in his rookie season and should only build off his impressive inaugural NFL season. Both corners Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen will once again be one of the most feared corner duos in the NFL and the addition of athletic safety Nick Emmanwori from the draft will further add to an impressive safety room headlined by Julian Love and Coby Bryant.
This unit will wreak havoc once more on opposing offenses and provide Darnold with plenty of opportunities to put games away early on and lean on the run game behind backs Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet.
Why You Should Bet on Sam Darnold Winning MVP
Darnold will be on a mission to prove that he was not behind the Vikings’ collapse late last season. After all, Minnesota overachieved in the eyes of many around the league as they were a team that looked primed to take a step back before the season began.
Darnold looked every bit like the quarterback we envisioned coming out of USC in 2018 with his unique poise in the pocket and ability to fully scan the field. His ability to throw with accuracy as well as high velocity was on full display throughout much of the year and I believe he will continue to clean up the mistakes he made down the stretch last season.
The Seahawks taking Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in the third round of the draft has already led to some fans inexplicably putting a vast amount of stock into OTA struggles in June, and if you are one of those people then you need a hobby. OTA struggles happen to every quarterback in the NFL whether you are Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or Joe Burrow.
Darnold has the leadership skills and ability to learn from any struggles as evidenced from last year. Let us not forget that he was a backup quarterback in 2023, learning from an offensive guru in San Francisco under head coach Kyle Shanahan. Combine this with getting to learn from another quarterback whisperer in Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and Darnold has had some of the best mentors to properly hone a skillset that made him a third overall pick in the league.
This team is poised to take a step forward and make the NFC West one of the most hotly-contested divisions in football this coming season, and you can bet that a large part of that will be due to Sam Darnold making his presence known as a high-end starter in the league.
