Aug 15, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) looks to pass against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

PFF analyst details Seahawks QB Sam Darnold's biggest weakness

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Connor Benintendi | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The Seattle Seahawks took a leap of faith this offseason by parting ways with quarterback Geno Smith and wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Seattle's offense is now vastly different, led by quarterback Sam Darnold.

Darnold is coming off by far the best season of his career in 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings, and he is about to enter the first season of a three-year, $100.5 million pact with the Seahawks. All eyes are on whether Darnold will continue his stellar play from last season or return to his previous mediocre form.

Overall, the former 2018 No. 3 overall pick seems to have genuinely taken a step forward. But that doesn't mean he's a perfect quarterback. Pro Football Focus writer John Kosko highlighted attacking man coverage as Darnold's biggest weakness heading into the 2025 season.

"It took a while, but the player drafted third overall in 2018 showed up in 2024. Whether that’s a one-year blip or a sign of things to come, Darnold showed he’s capable of high-level play in the NFL," Kosko wrote. "However, his 65.5 PFF passing grade against man coverage left something to be desired. It ranked third-worst in the NFL among quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks against Cover 0 or Cover 1 coverages.

"With an entire offseason for defensive coordinators to study Darnold’s weaknesses, you can be sure that man coverages will be deployed early and often against the veteran."

With a heavy rushing approach under offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, Darnold isn't likely to be asked to do a ton in terms of making heroic plays. He will still have to throw the ball downfield, but Darnold displayed his effectiveness in that area when throwing to Justin Jefferson in Minnesota last season.

Much of the load will be put on running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. If Kubiak's plan works as expected, Darnold should be supported by a much better run game than he had with the Vikings in 2024. In that situation, the ground game should open things up through the air.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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