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The Seattle Seahawks traded away starting quarterback Geno Smith at the start of the 2025 NFL offseason, replacing him with another former New York Jets castoff in Sam Darnold. The team signed Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract in free agency to start at quarterback this season.
The former No. 3 overall pick had a breakout year for the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, passing for a career-high 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Darnold thrived playing for Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell.
The Seahawks are hoping the 27-year-old can produce similar results this season in offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's system. NFL.com's Kevin Patra likes Darnold's fit in Seattle, but doesn't think he can replicate last season's success.
"New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak spent the 2023 season with Darnold in San Francisco," wrote Patra. "The relationship and some scheme familiarities for the QB should be beneficial. Despite those positives, I'm not going to project Darnold to double down on a career year. He's going from a near-ideal offense to one with question marks at receiver and interior O-line."
As good as Darnold was in Minnesota last season, his body of work suggests that to be more of a blip than a trend. Nonetheless, his age and upside were worth the gamble for Seattle. As NFL.com highlights below, the Seahawks offensive line will likely determine how well Darnold plays in 2025.
"The biggest question in Seattle is whether the interior offensive line, led by first-round pick Grey Zabel, can protect Darnold enough for him to thrive. If so, the match with Kubiak should be a good one. If they struggle, we're likely to see that Week 18 Darnold, with a lot of high passes while he gets crushed by defenders."
While the Seahawks will enter the season with Darnold as the unquestioned starter, the team hedged its bet by selecting Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft. Milroe, a true dual-threat option, is expected to see the field in certain packages.
Even after signing Darnold to a $100 million contract, the Seahawks can get out of it rather easily. As long as Darnold produces, though, he's got nothing to worry about.
More must-reads:
- Bills might finally have the formula to beating Chiefs in January
- Commanders HC Dan Quinn admits controversial Jayden Daniels decision was a mistake
- The 'NFL Passing YPG leaders' quiz
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Jerry Jones says Cowboys have made one trade, possibly more to come
Per Jon Machota of The Athletic, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on SiriusXM that they have made a trade. Jones also said they could make a couple more moves before Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline. He said the player will be on the field immediately and implied it could be on the defensive side. “Immediately it will have him on the field and it will address some of the things that have been our shortcomings,” Jones said. Jones, 83, bought the team from Bum Bright back in 1989 for $140M and has raised the value to $10B. Since purchasing the team, Jones has operated as owner, team president, and general manager. He replaced HC Tom Landry with Jimmy Johnson, and shortly after, the team won three Super Bowls in 1992, 1993, and 1995, respectively. In 2014, Jones was named the league’s Executive of the Year, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.
Dolphins' Mike McDaniel Reveals Tua Tagovailoa Decision Before Bills Game
Through nine weeks of the NFL season, the Miami Dolphins have been one of the worst teams in the league. Following the team's 28-6 Week 9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night, the Dolphins have fallen to 2-7 on the year, and have seemingly already laid the groundwork for a total rebuild. One day after the loss, the Dolphins announced that they had fired general manager Chris Grier. A change in power at the GM role indicates that no one on the roster is safe moving forward, as whoever is brought in will have ties or allegiances with the current regime. One person who many believed could be at risk of losing his job is quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The Pro Bowl quarterback has been a shell of his former self this season, throwing for 1,779 yards with 15 touchdowns and 11 picks through nine games. For reference, Tagovailoa's previous career high in interceptions came in 2023, when he threw 14 in 17 games. Head coach Mike McDaniel benched Tagovailoa in the team's Oct. 19 loss to the Cleveland Browns after he threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, turning to rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers. While calls have been growing again for Tagovailoa to be sent to the bench once and for all, McDaniel confirmed that he's not entertaining that idea at this time. When speaking to the media on Monday ahead of the team's Week 10 game against the Buffalo Bills (6-2), McDaniels confirmed he is not anywhere close to making that decision at this time. "I am far from even going down that direction of would've, could've possible things," McDaniel said. "We have a football game against the Buffalo Bills that we are certain that Tua gives us the best chance to win and we have to approach our jobs with diligence. We have to execute and Tua knows that heavy is crown that of being a franchise quarterback." According to ESPN BET, the Bills have opened as 8.5-point favorites. While Miami looks to stay afloat on the season, the Bills are coming off of a monster win over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, as they look to make a Super Bowl run this season. As for the Dolphins, they haven't beaten the Bills since 2022, and are 1-9 against them in their last 10. Tagovailoa has been far from spectacular this season, but is clearly being given some grace by McDaniel. With that being said, the Dolphins have a bye in a couple of weeks, and it does cause one to wonder if that is when the Dolphins would end up benching the former Alabama star if things don't turn around.
Examining what the Commanders can do at the trade deadline
Whatever magic the Washington Commanders captured last season on their way to an NFC Championship Game appearance is long gone. Sunday's 38-14 blowout loss at home against the Seattle Seahawks gave Washington its sixth loss this season, one more than it had all of last year. Combine the poor record with the injuries suffered to Jayden Daniels, Marshon Lattimore and Luke McCaffrey in Sunday's loss and the Commanders are in a prime position to be sellers ahead of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline. Who's available? According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Washington is open to moving several players ahead of the trade deadline. Two names that Schultz mentioned were offensive linemen Andrew Wylie and Nick Allegretti. Both Wylie and Allegretti have struggled to get on the field with the Commanders, and both may benefit greatly from a change of scenery and a fresh start. Defense needs to get younger Washington has the oldest roster in the NFL, meaning moving some of those older players could be crucial to help stock up on future draft picks. Two players contributing to the oldest average age in the league are linebacker Bobby Wagner and defensive end Von Miller. At their respective ages of 35 and 36, it may be time for the Commanders to move on from two of the oldest players on the roster in return for a bit of draft compensation. No Daniels, no Ertz? Zach Ertz is the fifth and final name that makes sense as a trade piece. Ertz has shown he can still be a reliable target and could be an excellent veteran piece for a younger team looking to sneak into the postseason. Important deadline Washington's season almost certainly now being a wash means that general manager Adam Peters must make moves to help get his team younger in the coming seasons. If not, the magical run of last season may be a one-time thing, and it may be another 30-plus years before the Commanders get back on the doorstep of a Super Bowl appearance.
Maxx Crosby sends inspiring message after latest Raiders loss
The Las Vegas Raiders lost a tough game to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, but Pro Bowl pass-rusher Maxx Crosby is maintaining a positive attitude amid a difficult season. The Jaguars beat the Raiders 30-29 in a thrilling Week 9 overtime game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev. The Raiders took the lead with just under 2 minutes remaining when star tight end Brock Bowers caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Geno Smith. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence then led a field goal drive to force OT. The two teams traded touchdowns in OT, with Jacksonville getting the ball first and scoring. Rather than kicking an extra point to tie the game with 16 seconds left in the extra period, Raiders head coach Pete Carroll went for a two-point conversion and the win. Smith’s pass to Tyler Lockett fell incomplete, sealing the win for Jacksonville. After the game, Crosby shared an uplifting message for fans via social media. “Raider Nation I Love Yall With Everything In My Heart Soul. Yall Deserve Better. Stay As One, It Will Change,” Crosby wrote on X. The Raiders fell to 2-6 with the loss. Their first season under Carroll has been a disappointment thus far, but Crosby wants everyone to know he is not discouraged. Crosby signed a three-year, $106.5 million contract extension with the Raiders back in March. He is one of the best defensive players in the NFL and has 5 sacks in 8 games this season. There has been some talk of Crosby being traded ahead of the Nov. 4 deadline, but that is highly unlikely to happen. Crosby has reportedly told the team he does not want to go anywhere, and his message following Sunday’s loss is consistent with that.
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