Sam Darnold is a gamble. The quarterback might have found himself after spending six seasons in quarterback Hades before learning how to be really good for the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. Does this mean the new Seattle Seahawks quarterback is fixed? We will find out in 2025.
General manager John Schneider traded three-year starter Geno Smith after Smith requested a trade this offseason. A week later, Schneider signed Darnold. The new QB1 threw 35 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions last season, but he was also terrible in the Vikings' last two games.
His performance earned him a three-year contract with Seattle worth as much as $100.5 million. He has no guaranteed money during years two and three of the deal. This is not because the Seahawks don't trust Darnold. This is how John Schneider usually does business. Veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp inked a deal with Seattle this offseason with the same contract structure.
The Seahawks do the right thing with quarterback Sam Darnold
However, Schneider believes in Darnold enough that he had head coach Mike Macdonald notify the quarterback that the team was about to draft Alabama QB Jalen Milroe in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Schneider said on the Rich Eisen Show, "Yeah, coach Mike Macdonald gave Sam a heads up. It was kind of in that period, just coming down the pike, like, ‘Hey, this isn’t about you. This is about acquiring an impact player, in our opinion...So, Mike talked to Sam. I was able to communicate with (backup quarterback Drew Lock)."
Milroe is seen as too raw a prospect to be put in a QB1 situation. He has fantastic arm strength and elite athleticism, but struggles with accuracy on short and intermediate throws. He might be able to beat NFL defenders with his legs right away, but he plays a position where beating defenders with his arm is the priority.
The Alabama product will likely be a preseason star. He will face backups and players trying to make an NFL roster anywhere they can, and Milroe will be more athletically gifted than those opponents. That doesn't mean he is ready to be successful against a defense that has schemed to stop him with their best players.
Ultimately, Milroe might replace Darnold for the long-term QB1 spot, but that probably won't happen in 2025 or maybe 2026. Schneider signed Darnold because he believes he will be a great fit in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's system. Also, Darnold and Kubiak worked with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023.
Schneider told Eisen about Darnold, "He just keeps making really cool progress every year. And to have an established system in place that he’s played in and is comfortable with is a big deal. Great human, great competitor, been a great leader so far."
