How Darnold is Doing as a Hawk So Far

I recall there being considerable doubt when Darnold was traded from the Vikings to the Seahawks. After his near-MVP season in Minnesota, people were still haunted by the ghost of how Darnold played in New York, where he had always struggled with the Jets. But he’s been quietly performing.

Darnold’s Job So Far in Seattle?

Currently, if we’re talking about pure winning and losing, he’s been doing his job. The Seahawks are 3-1 right now on a 3-game win streak. If we compare it to the job he’s been doing, it’s similar to what he did last year. He’s on par for a similar season. His TDs are the biggest area of difference, with him having 11 passing TDs last year, while 2025 Darnold only has 5 as of right now. But in terms of yards, completion percentage, INTs, and QB rating, he’s right there with Sam Darnold from 2024.

With 905 passing yards in 2023, compared to 932, and only three interceptions in 2023, but now even fewer in 2024, with only two in the first four games, it shows how great he is at taking care of the ball. And so does his completion percentage demonstrate his exceptional ability in this area, with a 68.9 percent in 2024 and 70 percent in 2025, representing another improvement over last year. And compared to the rest of the league, it really shows his true level; however, that’s not a bad thing.

He’s currently 13th in passing yards, tied for 15th in touchdowns, 10th in QB rating, and tied for 1st with Lamar in terms of average yards per attempt. So, not a single stat is below 16th, although he’s only top 10 in half of the stats. So he’s an above-average QB so far by definition. He doesn’t have a game where he’s thrown over 300 yards yet, although he did come close against Pittsburgh with a 295-yard passing day. So, you could argue that he could be doing a lot worse, but he could also be doing better. So, the question is, will he improve?

The Seahawks’ Brand-New Offense and Sam Darnold

The Seahawks made significant updates to their offense in the offseason. Trading away cornerstone pieces Geno Smith and DK Metcalf, who went off for 126 yards in the Steelers match vs. Darnold’s old team, the Vikings. And brought in Darnold and former SB MVP Cooper Kupp, along with the offensive coordinator who helped rebuild No. 14’s career, Clint Kubiak. Given the Seahawks’ determination to move on from the Carroll era, it means they now have to build a new brand identity, which takes time.

Darnold does give the Hawks an advantage in that regard, as he already played a year under his offense. Still, as everyone on the offense gets a better grasp of the offense, they’ll develop more chemistry and start to click more; they’ll start playing better. Kupp hasn’t been showing his SB MVP form quite yet, and we all know the Vikings‘ elite receiving corps helped Darnold out a lot. But they all knew the offense well at that point, so once Kupp becomes as familiar with the system, they’ll be dangerous.

But Does Darnold Need to Be Any Better

So far this year, in all three wins of the Seahawks’ games, they haven’t gained more than 400 yards of total offense, although they’ve never dropped below 299 yards either; all wins have had 300+ yards of total offense. While the Seahawks in all 3 wins have given up less than 300 yards, and special teams have made big plays as well.

So, as of right now, Darnold is being precisely what he needs to lead the Seahawks to victories. That does come with a caveat, though. The Seahawks have started with an easy schedule, and they lost to their best opponents this year, the 49ers. So Darnold and the Hawks need to step up come playoff time if they make it. Thanks a bunch for reading!