Two Seahawks make NFL analyst’s list of most intriguing signings on offense

How quickly things change in the National Football League. In 2024, then-Vikings’ quarterback Sam Darnold helped lead his team to a 14-3 record and a playoff berth. The opposition was the Los Angeles Rams, and the site was Glendale, Arizona. In Minnesota’s 27-9 loss, Darnold was sacked nine times. Meanwhile, then-Rams’ wide receiver Cooper Kupp caught one pass for 29 yards.

A week later at Philadelphia, Kupp and the Rams’ season ended with a loss to the eventual Super Bowl LIX champion Eagles. Now Darnold and Kupp have both signed three-year contracts, for $100.5 million and $45 million, respectively, with the Seattle Seahawks.

Jared Dubin of CBS Sports recently assembled the “most intriguing offensive free agent signings” in the NFL this offseason. At the top of the list are the aforementioned newcomers to the Pacific Northwest.

Cooper Kupp vs. Cardinals — Dec 28, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) ains 10 yards on a pass play before he is stopped by Arizona Cardinals cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting (23) in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

“These might be the two most fascinating bets of the offseason. The Vikings seemingly did not try all that hard to bring Darnold back, if you look at the structure of the contract he accepted from the Seahawks. And the Rams paid a bunch of money to move on from Kupp and bring in Davante Adams instead...The Seahawks are clearly higher on both players than are their former teams.

“They should theoretically fit in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s offense, which is similar to those run by Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota and Sean McVay in Los Angeles. But Darnold—who struggles with pressure—is going to play behind a very suspect offensive line, and Kupp—who has struggled to stay healthy and seemingly fell off over the second half of last season—is leaving the McVay and Matthew Stafford cocoon. How these two signings work out will go a long way toward determining how the NFC West shakes out.”

That may be an understatement. Darnold and the Vikings lost only four total games this past season, two to the Lions, and two to the Rams. Meanwhile, Mike Macdonald’s club hopes to dethrone the Rams this season. The Seahawks haven’t won the NFC West since 2020.

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