After earlier beginning quarterback Geno Smith, 34, turned down an analogous deal from the Seahawks, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Seattle rapidly targeted its consideration on Darnold. Three days after Seattle agreed on a commerce to ship Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, it has its successor.
Darnold joins a Seahawks group in flux. Final season, Seattle completed 10-7 and solely missed the playoffs due to a strength-of-victory tiebreaker with the Rams.
Below first-year head coach Mike Macdonald, the group appeared promising and had a very good likelihood to compete in a comparatively weak NFC West. However this offseason the Seahawks traded four-year starter Smith to Las Vegas and star large reciever DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh. This places a big duty on their younger playmakers, large receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba and working again Zach Charbonnet, to assist carry the new-look offense.
On the floor, the Darnold addition seems to be like a win for Seattle, who can maintain off a rebuild and compete for a division title in 2025, however there’s trepidation on the subject of the ex-Vikings QB.
After flaming out after three years with the Jets and using the bench with the Panthers and 49ers, Darnold discovered a very good house with the Vikings final season.
Below the tutelage of QB whisperer and head coach Kevin O’Connell, Darnold threw for 35 touchdowns and 4,319 yards and made the Professional Bowl group. He additionally meshed with celebrity receiver Justin Jefferson, completed tenth in MVP voting and led the Vikings to a 14-3 report.
That each one sounds nice, however the ending to Minnesota’s season left many with extra questions than solutions about Darnold’s means to guide a group to sustained success. The Vikings misplaced a Week 18 matchup in opposition to the division rival Detroit Lions with the No. 1 general seed at stake after which have been trounced by the Rams within the first spherical.
Darnold performed poorly in each of these video games, costing himself some huge cash within the course of, however a recent begin in Seattle may very well be precisely what he and the Seahawks want.
In Seattle, Darnold is reuniting with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who the QB labored with in San Francisco. Kubiak helped flip Darnold’s profession round,
Seattle would not have the infrastructure Minnesota had final season, however Darnold may very well be an awesome succession plan for the Seahawks. There aren’t many quarterbacks who performed at Darnold’s degree final season, and if he can seize among the that magic, Seattle may very well be taking a look at a deep playoff run in 2025.
