From the third overall pick in 2018, to three teams in a six-year span. Former USC quarterback Sam Darnold had his early struggles in the National Football League. After three disappointing seasons with the New York Jets, he was traded to Carolina for a total of three draft choices in 2021 and ’22. He played in a total of 18 games and again had his ups and downs.
It was off to the west coast via a one-year, $4.5 million deal with the 49ers. He made a total of 10 appearances, and started the club’s regular-season finale. It was back to the free-agent market a year later, inking a one-year, $10 million contract with Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings.
The rest is recent history. Darnold easily enjoyed a career-year with the Purple Gang. Minnesota finished 14-3 and reached the playoffs, and Darnold was named to the Pro Bowl. The season ended with a thud in losses to the Lions, and then the Rams in the playoffs. They were the only two teams that O’Connell’s club failed to defeat in 2024.
Now he’s a member of the Seattle Seahawks courtesy of a lucrative three-year, $100.5 million deal. How he wound up in the Pacific Northwest is quite the tale.
After things did not work out between the team and three-year starter Geno Smith (traded to the Raiders), general manager John Schneider was looking at other quarterbacks.
“Two got their attention,” explained SI.com’s Albert Breer. “One was bringing (Aaron) Rodgers to Seattle. Schneider and the four-time NFL MVP were together for five years in Green Bay, and the GM thought Rodgers had plenty left to give, at least in 2025. The other was the thought of resetting with Darnold, who’d come in for less than Smith was looking for…while leaving room for the team to navigate looming contract talks with young stars such as Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Charles Cross, Kenneth Walker III and Boye Mafe.
“The other thing (head coach Mike) Macdonald had was a new coordinator, in Klint Kubiak, who was with Darnold in San Francisco, and described this “gravitational pull” he had with his teammates, even as the backup…”
To make a long story short, Kubiak is now the offensive coordinator for Macdonald and Darnold. It’s a great example of resiliency and opportunity, and it will be fascinating to see the results in 2025.
