Sam Darnold-Mike Macdonald pairing ranked below Geno Smith-Pete Carroll by SI

The Seattle Seahawks will open their 2025 preseason schedule at home against a familiar couple of faces, as former head coach Pete Carroll and former starting quarterback Geno Smith come to down with the rest of the Las Vegas Raiders.

While we likely won't get to see Smith on the field during a preseason game - and the same goes for Seattle's new starter Sam Darnold - we will nevertheless be treated to a ton of comparisons between these two, both in this next season and in the years to come. So, how do these two head coach/quarterbck combinations compare?

According to a new ranking from Matt Verderame at Sports Illustrated of the NFL's head coach-starting QB combos, the Seahawks have taken a step down compared to Carroll and Smith. He has Darnold and Mike Macdonald ranked 21st in the league:

"The Seahawks were in the mix for a playoff spot last year but ultimately fell short. In the offseason, they brought in Sam Darnold after trading Geno Smith, having seen Darnold throw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns for the Vikings. While Darnold was given a three-year deal, it’s a pay-as-you-go situation, with Darnold needing to prove he can repeat his prior success."

Meanwhile, Verderame has the Raiders' new combo of Pete Carroll and Geno Smith ranked six spots higher at No. 15.

"Smith joined the Silver & Black after being traded to the Raiders from Seattle. Last season, Smith completed 70.4% of his attempts while throwing for 4,320 yards and 21 touchdowns against 15 interceptions. He rejoins his old coach in Carroll, who, at 73 years old, is the league’s oldest coach. Still, Carroll provides instant credibility and a winning mentality."

It's still too early to say whether or not Mike Macdonald is an upgrade or a step down from Pete Carroll as a head coach, but as far as the quarterbacks go this one just feels off. Darnold performed at a far higher level than Smith last season, and he's going to have a much better supporting cast in Seattle than Geno will in Vegas - especially at wide receiver. It would come as a surprise if Smith can post superior numbers - even with the benefit of playing half of his games indoors, where he tends to thrive.

What is beyond debate is that the Raiders upgraded their head coach/QB combo more than any other NFL team this offseason. Last year on this list Vegas came in at 29th, making this a 14-spot jump. Even still, the Raiders will likely bump their heads on a low ceiling - as they're playing in the most competitive division in the league. Finishing anywhere but last place in the AFC West would be a huge win for them in Year 1 under Carroll.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks are widely expected to take a step backwards - mostly thanks to some misplaced perceptions about Sam Darnold's game. From where we're sitting 11-6 should be the goal, and if they can't get there then the negative predictions about this team will have been proven right.