Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Sam Darnold's Keys To Success

As fall camps kick off across the league, NFL teams are gearing up for a new season with fresh talent acquired through the draft and recent trades.

For the Seattle Seahawks, they gained a new signal-caller in Sam Darnold – who recently played for the Minnesota Vikings before his move back west to Seattle.

Darnold earned the green light for the Vikings after the young star JJ McCarthy went out with an achilles injury for his whole rookie season. Under an offensive-minded coach like Kevin O’Connell, Darnold thrived as the Vikings quarterback – especially with targets like Justin Jefferson on his team.

Sam Darnold Seattle Seahawks Quarterback NFL Mike Macdonald Minnesota Vikings Kevin O'Connell Justin Jefferson Geno Smith — Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

McCarthy is back, which means Darnold wouldn’t see fit as the starting quarterback anymore. Darnold signed with the Seahawks this offseason and moved out west to pursue a starting quarterback role under a defensive-minded coach in Mike Macdonald — something different than what Darnold is used to.

Bob Condotta, a Seattle Times reporter, gave an explanation for Darnold’s new role with the Seahawks, and made it clear that he is exactly what the Seattle team was in need of.

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“Darnold is the big X Factor in this Seahawks season. The defense seems primed to build on last year’s solid finish and allow them to be competitive every week," wrote Condotta.

“The question is if Darnold and the offense can uphold their end as the Seahawks move on from Geno Smith and break in a rebuilt receiving corps and master a new scheme implemented by first-year coordinator Klint Kubiak. Darnold’s 2024 breakout season with the Vikings gave evidence that maybe he can live up to his status as the third overall pick in the 2018 draft," he continued.

In Minnesota, Darnold led the Vikings back to life in a successful 11-3 season before falling in the first round of the NFL playoffs to the Los Angeles Rams. In 2024, Darnold threw for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, with a 66.2 percent completion rate.

While Darnold is still new to the Seahawks offense in a rebuilding year, after trading star wide receiver D.K. Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Condotta emphasized that Seattle still needs to warm up to Darnold and mold him into the offense efficiently.

"Darnold may not play much in the preseason with his status as the starter secure. But the Seahawks will hope for a lot of consistent practices — as well as largely turnover-free ones — for Darnold to gain confidence in the system heading into the season, and for his new teammates to gain the same confidence in him."

Darnold was an exceptional quarterback for the USC Trojans – helping lead the Trojans to some of their most notable wins of all time, including a 52-49 overtime thriller win over Penn State in the 2017 Rose Bowl and a Pac-12 championship title in the same season.

In his career with the Trojans, Darnold threw for 7,229 passing yards, 57 passing touchdowns, seven rushing touchdowns and 332 rushing yards – proven to be among the elite quarterbacks USC has built in the past.

The Seahawks’ offense should suit Darnold well — even with adjustments under a defensive-minded head coach — and he has the potential to be a valuable asset capable of helping Seattle find success in 2025.

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