PFF Ranks Sam Darnold In The Middle Of The Pack for NFL QBs

It’s not a bad ranking for Sam Darnold, but it seems a little bit lacking for a quarterback that has won thirty-one games and a super bowl over the last two seasons.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) passes against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half in the 2026 NFC Championship Game. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Pro Football Focus released their quarterback ranking list for the upcoming 2026 season yesterday. That’s an important distinction, by the way, and might explain some of their choices. This list is meant to be a projection of where PFF believes these quarterbacks will be in 2026, not a ranking of where they were in 2025.

There are some fairly obvious choices on the list (Allen-Burrow-Jackson-Mahomes-Stafford top five, Herbert-Prescott-Maye trying to push up to tier one) and some absolute head-scratchers (Jordan Love in the top six, Baker Mayfield in the bottom half), but as a Seahawks fan, the most interesting thing to me is where they rank Seattle’s signal-caller.

Sam Darnold’s Ranking

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) drops back to pass against the New England Patriots in the first half in Super Bowl LX. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Pro Football Focus placed Darnold at 14th out of 32 starters. Just above the middle. Behind Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams, in front of Jalen Hurts and Jared Goff. Behind all three quarterbacks he beat on the way to a super bowl title last season, notably. Also behind Trevor Lawrence, with his one playoff win and one pro bowl from 2022.

It’s not a bad ranking, but it somehow feels just a little bit shy of where Darnold should be at this point. It’d be one thing if 2025 was Sam’s breakout season, and we needed to see it for another year to verify things, but Darnold’s 2025 was largely just a continuation of what he did in 2024. After two seasons of that level of play, you’d expect some more kudos.

Seeking To Understand

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) reacts during the first half at Levi's Stadium. | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Of the thirteen quarterbacks who PFF ranked ahead of Darnold, six of them are clearly better in my estimation (Allen, Burrow, Jackson, Mahomes, Stafford, Prescott). I’m fine with Herbert and Maye being higher as well. And while Caleb and Daniels are risky picks, they are obvious candidates to show big 2026 improvement, so I get it.

I suppose I can see why someone might keep betting on T-Law, especially in his second year in the Liam Coen offense. I somewhat comprehend Brock Purdy, even though I disagree with it ultimately. And PFF is far from the only publication out there waiting for Jordan Love to ascend to the Brett Favre-Aaron Rodgers level, since it seemed like he was heading there.

Pushing Back

Indianapolis Colts safety Rodney Thomas II (25) pressures Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) during the first quarter. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

And yet, it’s hard to agree with this ranking. Darnold just turned 29, so there’s no reason to believe that he’s in for age-related regression. His offensive line and receiving targets should be better this year than they were in 2025, even if his backfield and offensive coordinator may have gone the wrong direction. And, ultimately, what else does he need to do?

Two years of 67% completion, 8,367 yards, 60 touchdowns, top ten offenses, and of course, countless wins. Consecutive pro bowls. All accomplished across two different teams with completely different supporting casts. A super bowl title. A monster performance in the most important game of his career in the NFC Title game against the LA Rams. 

Would you really rather have Jordan Love or Trevor Lawrence, who have provided glimpses into being elite without actually consistently achieving it? Is Brock Purdy, who lives under the wing of Kyle Shanahan’s offense, as trustworthy as someone who has achieved success with two different squads? And are we really all the way there with Caleb Williams yet?

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and offensive tackle Charles Cross (67) celebrate after a touchdown by tight end AJ Barner (88). | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

I say the answer is no. Darnold has been a top ten quarterback for two straight years. Even PFF agrees with that statement, as they’ve literally had him as the tenth highest rated quarterback in the league for 2024 and 2025. It’s time to start treating him like a top ten quarterback. I wouldn’t have said that in 2024, but after what happened last year, it’s that time.

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