The Seattle Seahawks acted quickly to find their solution at starting quarterback to replace Geno Smith. Seattle has agreed to terms with former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.
“ESPN sources: Former Vikings QB Sam Darnold reached agreement today on a three-year, $110.5 million contract including $55 million guaranteed with the Seattle Seahawks,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter detailed in a series of March 10, 2025, messages on X. “Seattle has its successor to Geno Smith. Sam Darnold is now reunited with new Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak, whom he previously worked with in San Francisco.”
Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 record during the 2024 regular season. Yet, the Vikings struggled against both the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams to close the season. Minnesota was eliminated in the wild card round following a 27-9 blowout loss to Los Angeles.
NFL Rumors: The Seahawks Faced Potential Competition From the Steelers for Sam Darnold
It was not a lock that the Seahawks would be able to land Darnold. Other teams had been linked to Darnold ahead of NFL free agency, including the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“The Steelers are expected to make an offer to pending free agent Sam Darnold, per source,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russni noted in a March 9, message on X. “Many around the league believe Darnold will wind up in Seattle, but Pittsburgh is doing its due diligence on any potential options ahead of the new league year.”
Ultimately, the Seahawks were able to secure a commitment from Darnold over other teams like Pittsburgh. As a reminder, NFL deals are only verbal agreements until new contracts can be signed on March 12.
Darnold’s deal is significantly less than the four-year, $140 million market value projected by Spotrac.
The Seahawks Opted to Trade Geno Smith After Contract Negotiations Broke Down
It remains a bit of a mystery why the Seahawks moved on from Smith. At the start of the offseason, general manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald both pledged their support for Smith as the team’s starting quarterback. Yet, the Seahawks and Smith were clearly not aligned on his asking price once negotiations for a new deal began.
“Going back to the fall, it was pretty well known that Smith, two years into the three-year, $75 million deal he did in 2023, was going to be looking for a commitment from the Seattle Seahawks,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote in a March 10, article titled, “Takeaways: Inside the Josh Allen and Maxx Crosby Deals.” “More than just money, he wanted to know where he stood, as he entered his mid-30s, having been through plenty to get to the point where he was an established starter.
“… To be clear, the Seahawks’ actions demonstrated that they wanted to move forward with Smith as their starter. But proposals from Smith’s side were well into the $40-million-plus, some $10 million or so per year ahead of where the Seahawks were,” Breer continued.
“So at that point, dealing with that divide, Seattle started to look for creative solutions, which is how the discussion of trading Smith, and getting a young quarterback around the number they offered Smith came up.”
