Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold reacts against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Seahawks' nightmare scenario for 2025 NFL season involves Sam Darnold tanking

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Jun 5, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Expectations for the Seattle Seahawks, and frankly every NFL team, vary wildly right now. Some have them at the bottom of the NFC West, others have them as a surprise playoff contender, and others still have them anywhere in between.

While we won't know for sure what to make of the Seahawks until they actually take the field in September, it's very easy to see where things could go right or wrong, and it all ties back to their quarterback situation.

Sam Darnold had an outstanding 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings, completing 66.2 percent of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. That made him the top quarterback on the free agent market, and the Seahawks snatched him up on a three-year deal worth just over $100 million.

Before that, however, Darnold was a textbook journeyman. The former No. 3 overall pick in 2018 flamed out with the New York Jets, showed some flashes over an ultimately pedestrian stint with the Carolina Panthers, and spent a year as the San Francisco 49ers' backup in 2023.

The Seahawks' season could very well depend on what version of Darnold they're getting. If it's the journeyman version, then it would be their "nightmare scenario," as Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon put it.

"Sam Darnold tanks and proves his mostly strong 2024 campaign was a fluke in Minnesota, leaving Seattle with a tough call to make in 2026," Gagnon wrote.

Darnold's supporting cast in Seattle is not as good as it was in Minnesota, and only the most die-hard of Seahawks fans will try to dispute that. Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp are very good receivers, but they aren't Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and that's to say nothing of T.J. Hockenson at tight end. The real difference, however, is in the offensive line, as while the Vikings' isn't the best in the league, it's much better than the Seahawks' even with Grey Zabel now in the fold.

Even if Darnold doesn't hit the same highs he did in Minnesota, though, Seattle will likely be plenty satisfied if he can be a capable, short-term option under center.

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

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