How worried should the Seahawks be about Sam Darnold's sack rate?

Seattle's offensive line has improved a lot since last year, but Darnold's rising sack rate could be a concern in the playoffs.

Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jared Verse (8) and defensive end Kobie Turner (91) sack Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) in the second half at Lumen Field. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

One of the biggest under-the-radar stories around the NFL this season was the improvement of the Seattle Seahawks' offensive line. A punchline for virtually the entire Pete Carroll era, this unit glowed up in a major way during the 2025 campaign despite not getting much credit for it.

Rookie left guard Grey Zabel did get some love from line gurus, but outside of that this Seahawks offensive line has almost entirely gone unnoticed.

The numbers don't lie, though. Even though Sam Darnold went from a supposedly superior offensive line in Minnesota, his sack numbers dropped precipitously in Seattle, going from 48 last season to just 27 this year.

However, that element is trending in the wrong direction as the playoffs approach. According to Zachary Pereles at CBS Sports, Darnold's turnovers and rising sack rate are the fatal flaw for this team.

Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) reacts after the game at Levi's Stadium. | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

CBS on Sam Darnold's sack rate

"Darnold has always been a bit loose with the ball -- sometimes trying to make high-difficulty throws, other times just making the wrong throw or being fooled -- but another emerging worry is sacks. Since Week 13, Darnold has an 8.2% sack rate, 22nd in the NFL. Prior to that this season, he had a 3.6% sack rate, second-best in the league."

We might be proven wrong, but for now we just don't see it being a major problem for this team - at least not one that the Seahawks can't overcome.

Why it doesn't matter

Like Darnold's turnovers too much has been made of this issue. Seattle has a 5-1 record in games when Darnold committs two or more turnovers and both the film and the numbers say he's been one of the league's best quarterbacks this year when it comes to avoiding sacks and making plays.

For their part, Seattle's offensive line has done a mostly-solid job of protecting Darnold as much as they can - Anthony Bradford being the lone consistent exception to the rule.

Darnold has taken care of his part in the vast majority of his starts. The rematch with the Rams and the Vikings matchup when he took four sacks a piece are outliers, not the norm.

Sometimes a pass rush is just too much, but as long as he can avoid stumbling into them the way he did in Carolina the Seahawks should be just fine - and so far even on Darnold's worst days they have been able to come out on top more often than not.

It's not that Darnold doesn't have his flaws - it's just that so far none of them have really mattered. This Seattle team is just too freaking good in every other part of the game to lose to anybody but the very best competition - and even then only by a thread.

Dec 7, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) rolls out against the Atlanta Falcons during the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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