Seahawks QB Sam Darnold receives yet another disrespectful ranking

It seems a breakout season wasn't enough for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold to gain national respect.

Last season with the Minnesota Vikings, Darnold was one of the biggest surprises in the entire league as he threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns to only 12 interceptions. After years as a journeyman, Darnold showed that he can be a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback for a contending team.

Since signing with the Seahawks back in March, however, Darnold has had seemingly everyone in the NFL media landscape come after him. Most seem to believe that he won't succeed without the Vikings' strong supporting cast around him, but some analysts have taken it too far.

Feb 1, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws the ball during NFC Practice for the Pro Bowl Games at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

For example, Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame released a list of his projected quarterback rankings for the 2025 season (i.e., not a ranking of them currently, but rather where he believes they'll be at season's end, and placed Darnold at No. 26.

"Darnold was terrific for the Vikings, but that might not be the case with the Seahawks," Verderame wrote. "In Minnesota, Darnold was buoyed by the league’s best receiver and a quarterback whisperer in coach Kevin O’Connell, to say nothing of Minnesota’s ground game led by 1,000-yard back Aaron Jones. In Seattle, Darnold has a defensive-minded coach in Mike Macdonald, one significant receiving weapon in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and a question mark in the talented but oft-injured Cooper Kupp.

"Darnold has played seven NFL seasons and been subpar in six of them. Minnesota then provided him with a perfect situation. The Seahawks aren't bereft of talent, but they also have questions along the interior offensive line, wide receiver depth, and whether he can star without O’Connell calling the plays."

Yes, the Seahawks' supporting cast is undeniably worse than the Vikings', particularly along the offensive line, but this is still such a drastic drop. To make matters wore, new Vikings starter J.J. McCarthy - who, as a reminder, did not play at all as a rookie after a preseason knee injury - came in at No. 9 on the list. For a quarterback who hasn't thrown a single professional pass and didn't have to do all that much in college, that's an insane ranking.

At the very least, Darnold will definitely have a chip on his shoulder in his first season in Seattle.

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