PFF analysts gush over Seahawks QB Sam Darnold's performance in 2025

When the Seattle Seahawks first signed quarterback Sam Darnold to a $100 million deal in March, the question on everyone's minds was what version of him were they going to get. Would they get the sharp quarterback and borderline MVP candidate he was last season with the Minnesota Vikings, or would he be the journeyman and draft bust he was earlier in his career?

So far, it sure looks like the Seahawks got the good version of Darnold.

While he hasn't been perfect, Darnold has been effective and efficient throughout the first month of the season. The 28-year-old is completing 70 percent of his passes for 905 yards, five touchdowns and only two interceptions through four games, and his passer rating of 106.5 currently ranks seventh in the league. Most importantly, the Seahawks' offense has been humming along for several weeks now, and doesn't look to be slowign down any time soon.

Sep 25, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Amidst Darnold's hot start to the season, Pro Football Focus analysts Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman heaped praise on him for his play thus far.

"He looks fantastic," Wasserman said. "Seattle Sam, I guess is what we have to call him now, right? I mean, I'm sure there's plenty of nicknames we could come up with, but no, he's been fantastic so far. You know, we were optimistic around here about the chemistry he could have with the new offensive coordinator in Seattle, Klint Kubiak, having worked with him before in San Francisco, but again, it still takes some time to gel.

"They've got a relatively new offensive line, especially in the interior, that's coming together, they've played decent football. Then you've got new weapons, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, AJ Barner, Elijah Arroyo, Tory Horton, the rookie wide receiver as well. There's a lot to overcome but what we've seen from Darnold so far has just been fantastic through the first four games."

The pair pointed out how Darnold ranks near the top of the league in several advanced stats. Those include his 90.1 passing grade (fourth), 9.1 passing yards per attempt (first), 0.9 percentage of turnover-worthy plays (second) and 2.56-second average time to throw (fifth).

There's still a lot of football yet to be played, but so far, Darnold looks like one of the NFL's better quarterbacks and exactly what the Seahawks hoped for when they signed him.

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