Sam Darnold 'will need to improve his play' to receive contract extension from Seahawks in 2027

A June report noted that the Seattle Seahawks could potentially move on from starting quarterback Sam Darnold in 2027 despite the fact that he guided the club to a Super Bowl victory this past February. 

More recently, Darnold's performances since he returned to the starting lineup in Week 3 from a glute injury he suffered in the campaign's opening game have raised eyebrows among members of the NFL community.

In an article updated on Wednesday morning, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler addressed the Seahawks' options regarding the three-year, $100.5M contract Darnold signed to join the club in March 2025.

Seahawks have "not given up on" Sam Darnold, but...

"After this season," Fowler wrote, "Darnold will have made $69M on that deal, but the guarantees dry up, allowing Seattle the flexibility to move on if it chooses. The Seahawks would need to do so before a $10M roster bonus is due on the fifth day of the new league year. To be sure, Seattle has not given up on Darnold, who is part of a championship fabric in Seattle. But he will need to improve his play before discussions about his future with the franchise commence."

People within the Seahawks are reportedly high on backup Drew Lock, who helped Seattle notch two straight wins after Darnold went down in Week 1. As for Darnold, ESPN stats show he began Wednesday ranked 21st in the league among qualified players with a 49.4 adjusted QBR for the season. Additionally, he threw a total of nine interceptions over the past six games, four of which Seattle lost to fall to 4-4.

This is an "issue" for the Seahawks regarding a potential Sam Darnold extension

Following Seattle's 34-17 loss to the Chicago Bears this past Monday, Seahawks guard Grey Zabel said that the club needed to "take the pressure off our quarterback and wide receivers and our play-caller." It sounds like those running the Seahawks wish Darnold would do a better job of making those around him better. 

"Part of the issue: Darnold, despite being a quality NFL starter, needs clean surroundings, as multiple league evaluators pointed out this week," Fowler added. "And Seattle's offense has struggled to run the ball consistently, which would create play-action opportunities for Darnold. The Chicago Bears on Monday pressured Darnold on 14 of his 39 dropbacks, with Darnold completing 1 of 11 passes for 13 yards and an interception on those plays. Hard to win that way."

Darnold will attempt to make things easier for the Seahawks when they host the 3-5 Arizona Cardinals this coming Sunday. As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Seattle as a 12.5-point favorite for that game.