Seahawks QB Sam Darnold rivaling Tom Brady, others with ridiculous statistic

The Seattle Seahawks have essentially reached the midway point of the season, and they possess a 6-2 record — tied for the best in the NFC.

Barring a remarkable collapse, it's safe to say the move from Geno Smith to Sam Darnold at quarterback has looked like a masterful decision from general manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald. Darnold is cheaper, too.

The Seahawks' dominant Sunday night victory over the Washington Commanders was the perfect example, as Darnold posted arguably the best game of his eight-year career. Darnold completed his first 16 pass attempts and tossed four touchdowns in the first half alone, finishing 21 of 24 for 330 yards.

Nov 2, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) looks to pass during the second quarter against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Darnold now has three games this season with a QBR of 97 or higher, and according to ESPN research, there have only been four performances like that league-wide this season. The only other quarterbacks who have totaled three such performances in one season since 2006 are Tom Brady (2007), Tony Romo (2014) and Lamar Jackson (2019), per ESPN's Brady Henderson.

In addition to the game against the Commanders (97.8 QBR), Darnold surpassed that figure against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (97.4) and New Orleans Saints (97.3). His rating against Washington was a career high.

The Seahawks have the fourth-ranked passing offense in the league through Week 9 (Monday night football pending) at 255.1 yards per game, and that's largely thanks to Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. With the run game struggling, Seattle would be far worse off if it weren't for Darnold's ability to operate Klint Kubiak's offense at a high level.

After not being re-signed by the Minnesota Vikings this past offseason, the Seahawks are reaping the benefits of employing Darnold. If he keeps producing the way he is, Seattle could have their new franchise quarterback.

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