NFL exec reveals how Sam Darnold fits Seahawks and how he might not

No NFL team made a more aggressive change this offseason than the Seattle Seahawks. Geno Smith had been a solid starting quarterback for them over the past three years, but instead of running it back with Smith before he turns 35 years old they decided to hit the reset button at QB and build around a younger and cheaper option in Sam Darnold.

Whether Darnold is actually better than Geno Smith is up for debate, with most NFL analysts seeming to come down on Geno's side. We disagree with that crowd and see Darnold as a legitimate upgrade - the only one that the Seahawks were going to get in 2025.

At least for now there's no denying that Darnold is a snug fit for the scheme they want to run with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who run many of the same conceps that the Minnesota Vikings did last season in Darnold's big breakout year.

According to one anonymous NFL executive, Darnold fits Seattle but might run into trouble when he's forced to push and can't rely on a superstar receiver like Justin Jefferson. Here's what he told the Athletic about it.

“That city (Seattle) is right for Darnold, far away from everything he dealt with on the Jets... It will be similar to Minnesota with the run and play-action stuff, but they won’t have a Justin Jefferson. You still have to throw it on third down when you are behind or in two-minute, which could be up and down for him.”

seahawks — Dec 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) looks to pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Lumen Field. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

It is reasonable to have some concern about Darnold going from an excellent supporting cast in Minnesota to a less-excellent one in Seattle, but it's not like he's going to the Titans.

Above all with the Vikings Darnold could rely on an elite defense so that he wouldn't have to play hero ball when they got possession. Minnesota finished fifth in scoring defense, which is roughly where we expect Seattle to finish this coming season, so there's no great difference in this department.

At wide receiver Darnold won't have an elite talent like Jefferson, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba is no slouch - he was the best receiver prospect in the 2023 draft class, after all - and now he has no real competition for the WR1 role. Cooper Kupp is also a superb number two option and if he can stay healthy for a full season there won't be any noticeable dropoff from DK Metcalf.

At tight end the Seahawks will have to find an upgrade over Noah Fant, who's only managed to score one touchdown over the last two seasons. With a deep draft class at this position that shouldn't be too difficult to come by, though.

As far as playcalling goes it's difficult to deny that Darnold is getting a decline going from Kevin O'Connell to Kubiak. While Kubiak did show a lot of promse with the Saints last season, O'Connell is one of the best offensive minds in the game.

The biggest difference will be the offensive line, where the Vikings had a serious edge. Last season they ranked 18th in PFF's pass blocking grades and 16th in run blocking. By comparison Seattle's offensive line ranked 26th and 24th in those areas. If we go by ESPN's metrics, Minnesota ranked fourth in pass block win rate and 15th in run block win rate, whereas the Seahawks ranked 16th and 28th.

Overall Darnold's supporting cast is admittedly being downgraded, but that step down isn't nearly as steep as it's being made out to be. Much will depend on the Seahawks somehow improving that offensive line. Either way thouh Darnold's production won't be dropping off a cliff.

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