The “gunslinger” has a new home. Throughout his career, QB Sam Darnold has played for four different franchises, starting with the New York Jets. The former first-round pick from 2018 now takes the helm with the Seattle Seahawks. And with that position comes the pressure of breaking last year’s career highs. While that may be a daunting task, Darnold is excited to work with the team he has played against on several occasions. While talking about this opportunity, the QB has also shed light on a big challenge he had faced in his career just recently.
Sam Darnold is coming off a remarkable 2024 season that almost got him the AP Comeback Player of the Year. After clocking a career-best 4,319 yards and 35 TDs with the Vikings last season, Darnold joins the Seahawks with high expectations and a big contract. The Seahawks have offered him a $100.5 million, three-year deal with a potential opt-out after this new season. But with that contract, and with his numbers from last year, a lot is riding on him as the QB1. But his mission has become crystal clear as he talked about last season’s challenges.
Talking with Jim Rome, Sam Darnold explained why Seattle was his first choice, going into free agency. “Seattle’s just a great place first and foremost. Top down in the building… from the owner to the GM to the head coach, and then obviously you got all the people that work in the building as well. So that was a no-brainers in that regard.” Darnold has been working closely with HC Mike MacDonald. There’s also a shared history with current OC Klint Kubiak from his 2023 season with the 49ers. But the greatest reason for Darnold signing up with the Seahawks was the team itself. Darnold sees a “ton of talent” in the offensive line. As for the defense, as Darnold put it, “we have a great defense as well that I got the privilege to go against last year and you know that they’re always a tough challenge.”
“The word around the league is that Seattle is just a great place, first and foremost.”
Sam Darnold explains why the @Seahawks were his team of choice this off season. pic.twitter.com/HEIehOP3HZ
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) June 4, 2025
Last season, when Sam Darnold was playing for the Vikings, he got to experience firsthand the defense of the Seahawks. He scored a hard-earned 27-24 victory against the Seahawks in Week 16. Incidentally, this was also the Vikings’ 8th win in a row. Now, he can rely on the Seahawks’ defence as he doubles down with the offensive line. This isn’t the same guy who struggled as a rookie. The mission for Darnold now is straight and simple: “we just need to go out and if we go and execute the rest will take care of itself.” And with that mission set clearly in his mind, HC Mike MacDonald has also made an announcement regarding the QB situation.
Mike MacDonald’s QB decision for Sam Darnold
Head coach Mike MacDonald isn’t a man to mince words when it comes to talking about his team. So when an interviewer asked him if “anything could happen” to shake up the QB roster between now and the season’s start, his first response was classic. MacDonald fired back with, “You guys are crazy.” For MacDonald, the answer couldn’t be simpler. “Sam’s our quarterback.” With that statement, he settled the question. Sam Darnold is the QB1 for Seattle as long as an injury doesn’t get in their way. But the head coach didn’t stop just there.
Mike MacDonald further praised Sam Darnold in the interview. “We love him. He’s doing a tremendous job.” At the recent open-to-media OTA day, Sam Darnold’s rocky performance led to some question marks about his role as the starter. But with the HC’s seal of approval, also comes a lot of faith in what Darnold can bring to the Seahawks’ offense. As the coach put it, “We want these guys to go prepare the right way. And then when they go out on the practise field, go freaking let it rip.” As for the mistakes, there’s plenty of time to get them in order before the season begins. MacDonald also doubled down on Darnold’s recent performance, “Sam made a lot of great throws yesterday. He’s gashing us on third and goal to start the day out too.” And if something does go wrong, the coach is prepared for that, too.
Apart from Sam Darnold, the Seahawks have also brought back Drew Lock from the Giants this year. Lock will be the backup for Darnold. Behind these two, draft pick and rookie QB Jalen Milroe also gets a chance to watch the pros up close and develop. But for now, barring injury, Darnold remains the clear starter under center for the Seahawks.
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