Analyst predicts rocky road leading to bench for Seahawks QB Sam Darnold

Sam Darnold has the weight of the Seattle Seahawks resting on his shoulders. Following a long-awaited breakout, the veteran quarterback signed for a three-year contract. He has yet to play well outside the Minnesota Vikings system, so the Seahawks may have taken a bit of a risk.

That risk could backfire. RotoBaller's Aidin Ebrahimi believes he's one of six quarterbacks to avoid in fantasy because he might have been a flash in the pan. The arrival of rookie Jalen Milroe doesn't help, either.

"Darnold shocked the world in 2024 when he led the Vikings to an unexpected 14-3 season, which led to his first Pro Bowl appearance. 2024 was Darnold's seventh season in the NFL, and the list of signal callers who made their first Pro Bowl in their seventh season is quite a strange one," Ebrahimi said.

Of those players, only Steve Young and Rich Gannon ever really became true stars in the NFL. Some ended up having solid careers, like Alex Smith, Ryan Tannehill, Trent Green, and Vinny Testaverde, but that's still a pretty short list.

Most of the players, including Jake Plummer, Steve Beuerlein, Elvis Grbac, Kordell Stewart, Steve Bono, and so many others, completely fell off. Ebrahimi says the odds are not in Darnold's favor to repeat his success.

"The USC product now finds himself in Seattle, and while they have a solid roster, making the playoffs in the loaded NFC will be a challenge. Former Seahawks backup Drew Lock is back with the team, and the team is looking to develop rookie Jalen Milroe, whom they drafted using a pick acquired in the Geno Smith trade," he said.

"If the team is sitting around .500 with no chance at making the playoffs near the end of the season, Milroe could get some starts and establish himself as the Seahawks' QB of the future," Ebrahimi concluded.

The pick of Milroe didn't seem like a threat to Darnold, but given the likelihood that Darnold is what we saw last year and is not what we saw every season before, it could end up being one.