Why Sam Darnold is confident he'll continue career turnaround with Seahawks

Quarterback Sam Darnold received a three-year, $100.5M contract from the Seattle Seahawks back in March after he helped the 2024 Minnesota Vikings win 14 of 17 regular-season games to reach the playoffs. 

For an article published on Monday, Darnold spoke with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated about why he's confident he has found a long-term NFL home with the fifth team of his career.

"I’ve gotten to know myself really well, and I think that’s kind of helped me, just allowed me to be myself in the locker room, which I think allows me to go out there and play really free," Darnold explained. "And just be the best player I can be, and that’s it."

Darnold hasn't quite lived up to the expectations many had for him when the New York Jets made him the third overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. After three seasons with the Jets, he spent two rather forgettable campaigns with the Carolina Panthers. He then served as a backup for San Francisco 49ers starter Brock Purdy during the 2023 season when current Seattle offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak was San Francisco's passing game coordinator.

"I saw Brock operate, and he’s just a very about-his-business kind of guy," Darnold said about his experience with the Niners. "He was just, every single day, come in, same routine, same deal. He wasn’t very vocal and he would just get the job done. And I realized, like, 'Okay, I can just be myself.'" 

Per Pro Football Reference, a version of Darnold who was more himself with the Vikings finished the 2024 regular season ranked fifth in the NFL with 4,319 passing yards and fifth with 35 passing touchdowns. He was also sixth among qualified players with a 102.5 passer rating. 

While the Seahawks gave Darnold the keys to their offense earlier this year, they could escape his contract as soon as next offseason. For a piece posted on Monday, one unnamed NFL executive told Mike Sando of The Athletic that he believes Seattle will start Darnold for one season before the club turns to 2025 third-round draft pick Jalen Milroe.

"I don’t look at it any different," Darnold said about his situation with Seattle compared to what he dealt with during his previous career stops. "I don’t go about my process any differently. At the end of the day, I am going to do everything I can to control the controllables and, for me, that’s always leading. As a quarterback, like if you’re the guy in the huddle? No matter if you’re the first, second, or third string, if you’re the guy in the huddle, it’s got to be your team in that moment."

As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had a Seahawks team that is currently Darnold's at +170 betting odds to make the playoffs this season. Darnold will get a chance to respond to such forecasts when Seattle opens the campaign with a home game against the 49ers on Sept. 7.