ESPN identifies major deadline for Sam Darnold's future with the Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks (9-3) are looking to win the NFC West Divisional title for the first time since the 2020 NFL Season. While the elite defensive play is a big reason why, the leadership of quarterback Sam Darnold is another major reason. Darnold is in the top half of the league in most, if not all, of the major passing statistics this season.

As of Week 13 of the season, the decision to sign Darnold to a three-year; $100.5 million deal is looking like a smart investment. There is a possibility that Darnold could have a bad run at the end of the season and possibly heading into the playoffs, much like he did last season with the Minnesota Vikings.

If the final stretch of the season is so bad for Darnold that the Seahawks want to cut ties with Darnold, there is a possibility that both could have a quick and clean breakup after so much hope.

A report from ESPN's Dan Graziano details the potential clean breakup between the two sides if the remainder of the season is a disaster. The Seahawks’ front office can cut Darnold anytime until after February 13th, which is Super Bowl LX. If they do, the team can avoid having to pay most of the remaining contract and only pay a dead money hit of $25.6 million.

It comes as a precaution for veteran quarterbacks who have had a disastrous run with their new teams. Dysfunctional functional relationships that hit the salary cap hard include the Cleveland Browns with Deshaun Watson and the Las Vegas Raiders with Geno Smith. The Seahawks had that long ago in 2012 with Matt Flynn, but lost the quarterback competition to a rookie named Russell Wilson.

Sam Darnold preparing for a throw in the Week 13 game against the Minnesota Vikings. — Nov 30, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) drops back to make a pass during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Darnold continued most of his success last season with the Vikings, going into this season with the Seahawks. Through the first ten weeks of the season, Darnold played like one of the most elite and efficient quarterbacks in the league.

It wasn’t until the 21-19 Week 11 road loss to the Los Angeles Rams that Darnold folded under pressure, throwing four costly interceptions. He had some big throws in the game, but they were overshadowed by the big mistakes.

One week later, he had an average game in the 30-24 Week 12 road win over the Tennessee Titans, where he found a wide-open Jaxon Smith-Njigba for some big plays. In fairness to Darnold, most of the Seahawks were flat in the game, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

This past Sunday, Darnold didn’t have time to get most of his passing situations set up due to the poor protection of the offensive line. He managed to avoid throwing an interception in the wins over the Titans and the Vikings.

Through 12 games, Darnold is one of the most productive and efficient quarterbacks in the league. Darnold has completed 68.2% of his passes (sixth in the league) for 2,913 yards (seventh in the league), 19 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, a quarterback rating of 103.1, and a QBR of 64.3.

The Seahawks are set to go on the road to take on the Atlanta Falcons (4-8), who are third in the league in sacks accounted for this season with 41. The Falcons love to blitz and find ways of getting to the quarterback. This Sunday is a good opportunity for Darnold to get an elite performance and a rebound game.

Darnold’s future with the Seahawks isn’t in danger, but it's always a good reminder to prove the trolls and doubters wrong for those who believe the Seahawks need to move on.

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