Seahawks Secure Surprising Spot In NFL Head Coach-QB Duo Ranking

In just two seasons with Mike Macdonald as their head coach, the Seattle Seahawks have become one of the league's best franchises. They went 10-7 during his first season in the role, but were left out of the NFC playoffs.

Macdonald then landed a new quarterback during the 2025 offseason, with Seattle signing Sam Darnold to a three-year deal in free agency. That proved to be exactly what the offense needed as the Seahawks went on to post a 14-3 record and wound up winning the Super Bowl over the New England Patriots.

While the two had plenty of success during their first year together, it's not often they're thought of as one of the top quarterback-head coach duos. Instead, combinations such as Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams or Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs would come to mind.

Mike Macdonald-Sam Darnold reaching elite status

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald during the first half at Lumen Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oddly enough, Macdonald and Darnold are approaching their territory in a recent QB-coach duo ranking from CBS Sports' Garrett Podell. In his ranking, Podell has the Rams at No. 1 and the Chiefs at No. 2, unsurprisingly, but the real shocker is Seattle coming in third.

Podell admits that Darnold isn't viewed as an elite quarterback which makes this ranking debatable, but he points to their leap from the No. 18 scoring offense to No. 3 with Darnold under center.

"Some may question how Macdonald and the Seahawks' duo can rank this high with Sam Darnold as their starting quarterback, but the lens through which people view Darnold needs to change. The Minnesota Vikings went from being 14-3 with him as their starting quarterback in 2024 to 9-8 and out of the playoffs entirely without him in 2025," Podell wrote.

"Seattle went from being 10-7 with the NFL's 18th-ranked scoring offense (22.1 ppg) in 2024 to being 14-3 with the league's third-ranked scoring offense (28.4 ppg) with Darnold in 2025. Of course, having the No. 1 scoring defense makes field position and ball control for an offense exponentially easier, but Darnold deserves credit for being at the controls of the unit on the field."

Sam Darnold, Seattle offense has much to prove in 2026

Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold and offensive coordinator Brian Fleury during minicamp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite being the defending champs, and one of the top offenses from a year ago, Darnold and the Seahawks have a lot to prove.

Seattle lost offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who took a head coaching gig with the Las Vegas Raiders. He will be replaced by Brian Fleury, who was the run game coordinator and tight ends coach for the San Francisco 49ers this past season. In addition to having a first-year offensive coordinator, Seattle is leaning on rookie running back Jadarian Price to replace Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker.

Should the Seahawks overcome these changes and put up another elite season offensively, it would be impossible to debate such a high ranking for this underrated duo.

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