Analyst: Sam Darnold is worse than most NFL QBs right now

The first year of the Mike Macdonald era with the Seattle Seahawks saw them win 10 games but just miss out on the playoffs. While Macdonald’s defensive prowess was on display, their offense took a step in the wrong direction, which led to some big changes.

Seattle moved on from quarterback Geno Smith as well as wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. As much as the Lockett and Metcalf departures will impact the offense, nothing will matter nearly as much as their quarterback change. Smith, who unexpectedly became a star in 2022, will be replace by Sam Darnold.

Like Smith, Darnold began his career with the New York Jets but was unable to find success. He eventually broke out with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 but hasn’t proven he’s a long-term answer.

That’s why he fell to No. 27 in a recent quarterback power ranking on MSN.

Only a handful of quarterbacks were ranked lower than Darnold, but oddly enough, Russell Wilson was one of them.

Seahawks fans might be frustrated to see Darnold ranked this low, but they didn’t lose a lot moving on from Smith — at least not according to this ranking. Smith was just two spots ahead of Darnold, at No. 25.