Seahawks' risky Sam Darnold bet could go one of two ways, insider says

The Seattle Seahawks are looking to get back to the playoffs this year, and they're resting their hopes on the veteran shoulders of Sam Darnold. Out goes Geno Smith, in comes Sam Darnold. The quarterback parlayed a career year with the Minnesota Vikings into a three-year deal with Seattle.

That tenure has yet to officially begin, but when it does, NFL insider Henry McKenna of FOX Sports claims it can go one of two ways. Either the Seahawks front office struck gold again, or they risked it all on a guy who could only ever succeed with an offensive mastermind pulling the strings.

Best-case scenario? McKenna said, "John Schneider is right again. The Seahawks GM drafted Russell Wilson. Then he let Wilson go. Then he added Geno Smith. Now he’s let Smith go. Schneider’s history of adding and subtracting QB talent isn’t exactly long. But he does seem to have an eye for talent and a knack for timing."

Will he be right again with Darnold? "On the surface, the Seahawks are transitioning from a steady, conservative, accurate passer (in Smith) to a gunslinger (in Darnold). Schneider must have an idea of how to build around his new QB’s style," McKenna said.

The alternative is that "Darnold was a (Vikings) system QB after all," McKenna added. "We saw Kirk Cousins struggle to match the expectations that he set for himself in Minnesota. After throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in arguably the best offensive situation in the NFL in 2024, Darnold is looking at a lot less enticing spot in Seattle, which just traded DK Metcalf and released Tyler Lockett. Darnold might’ve been a one-hit wonder."

If he is, it might really hamper the Seahawks. The NFC West seems relatively wide open, but if the Seahawks get the New York Jets or even Carolina Panthers version of Darnold, they're in big trouble. The defense, as brilliant as it'll be, and run game won't be able to mask that.