ESPN charts 2 possible paths for Sam Darnold, Seahawks to take in 2025 NFL season

As the Seattle Seahawks wrap up their mandatory minicamp, those around the NFL still aren't totally sure what to make of quarterback Sam Darnold. Some feel the Seahawks added a franchise quarterback who's just hitting his stride, while others view the move as risky.

Darnold, 28, was largely considered a draft bust prior to the 2024 season, but he changed the perception with a 4,319-yard, 35-touchdown campaign in Minnesota. Has the former No. 3 overall pick finally turned the corner, or was last year fool's gold?

ESPN's Dan Graziano released a new feature asking each quarteback room one question. For Seattle, Graziano asked whether or not Darnold's resurrection was real.

"The somewhat tepid market for Darnold in free agency indicates that there was a fair bit of skepticism around the league about the sustainability of his breakout 2024 season," wrote ESPN's Dan Graziano. "Seattle got a pretty nice deal -- three years, $100.5 million and just $37.5 million guaranteed -- and if Darnold does play the way he did in Minnesota, it'll look like a massive steal."

While the upside is clear when looking at Darnold's 2024 campaign, it's hard to ignore the fact that he looked like a different player in Minnesota's two biggest games of the year.

He appeared to be shell-shocked in the Vikings' Week 18 loss to the Detroit Lions before playing poorly in the team's wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

"If Darnold reverts to the jittery, turnover-prone ways of his early career, Seattle is likely in for a rough campaign. But at least the Seahawks aren't committed to him beyond this season," explained Graziano. "Drew Lock and third-round rookie Jalen Milroe are the other options on the roster if Darnold falters. As of now, coach Mike Macdonald has been very clear Darnold is the starter and that it would take an injury to change that."