Seahawks' Mike Macdonald shoots down 'crazy' Sam Darnold chatter

As Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio pointed out, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold having a rough outing during a recent organized team activity practice generated discussions about whether Darnold could lose the starting job this summer. 

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald did his best to put the topic to bed on Tuesday. 

"No, you guys are crazy," Macdonald said when asked about Darnold's job security during an appearance on Seattle Sports 710 AM, as shared by Kevin Patra of the NFL's website. "I respect that you've got to ask it, but it's just a crazy question. It's just not going to happen. Sam's our starting quarterback. We love him. He's doing a tremendous job."

While the Seahawks can escape the three-year, $100.5M contract they gave Darnold in March as soon as next offseason, it's downright laughable to think a June throwing session would cause Macdonald and Co. to have second thoughts about starting him in September. Current Seattle backup Drew Lock is essentially a journeyman at this stage of his career. Rookie Jalen Milroe, a third-round pick, is a project for the future who needs to develop as a passer before he starts under center against live defenses in meaningful games. 

That said, Macdonald and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak both insisted this past winter they expected to head into springtime workouts with Geno Smith atop the depth chart. Smith is now with the Las Vegas Raiders.

"God forbid you're the worst payer of all time because you made one bad throw or one bad decision," Macdonald added about Darnold. "That is not what we're trying to build. We want these guys to go prepare the right way and then when they go out on the practice field, go freaking let it rip, and then we'll go fix it. We've got time. It's June 3. They're going to get plenty of reps. We'll get those things fixed. Sam made a lot of great throws [Monday] -- he was gashing us on third-and-goal to start the day out, too. So, yeah, it's kind of a crazy question."

Darnold endured a pair of nightmare outings to close his Minnesota Vikings tenure last season, so it's understandable some Seattle fans may not love learning that he has sometimes been less-than-sharp on the practice field. The Seahawks may need to have some difficult conversations regarding Darnold's future in January 2026, but Macdonald has no reason to worry about those potential chats in the first week of June.