Top 25 Seattle Seahawks Going into 2026 NFL Season: #4 Sam Darnold

It won’t be long until the Seattle Seahawks kick off the 2026 NFL Season at home versus the New England Patriots. There are several key players the Seahawks will be relying on this upcoming season.

One of the most important players for the Seahawks, once again, is quarterback Sam Darnold, who is entering his second year with the team. There was not a lot of pressure on Darnold as the starting quarterback because of low expectations from national media. This is a lot more pressure, but a different type of skepticism for different reasons.

Why Darnold Could Be Ranked Higher?

Sam Darnold warming up before a preseason game versus the Kansas City Chiefs. — Aug 28, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) warms up prior to a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For a quarterback who won 14 games as a starter and was named to a Pro Bowl in 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings, there was a lot of disbelief surrounding Darnold entering last season. He shed that outdated narrative that he wasn’t a franchise quarterback by winning over 14 games and making the Pro Bowl again, this time with the Seahawks. His leadership, deep-passing ability and clutch decision-making helped Seattle win its second Super Bowl title in franchise history.

Through the last two seasons, Darnold threw for 8,367 yards, 60 touchdowns, 26 interceptions, and a nearly 70% completion rate. Finally, he posted a 28-6 record as the starting quarterback. This was with two different teams and two different offensive coordinators.

Darnold is entering his second season with a team for the first time since the Carolina Panthers in 2022. This is the most continuity he will have in several seasons, and he possesses the knowledge and experience of an elite quarterback.

What makes this upcoming season a bigger year for Darnold is his control of the offense, his chemistry developed with the pass-catchers and his newfound confidence thanks to winning a Super Bowl title.

Why Darnold Could Be Ranked Lower?

Sam Darnold and offensive coordinator Brian Fleury after a minicamp practice. — Jun 9, 2026; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and offensive coordinator Brian Fleury during minicamp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There shouldn’t be many reasons for people to doubt Darnold after two huge seasons. Most of the negativity stems from the fact that they can’t get over his growth past his time with the New York Jets and the Panthers. There are some areas that put him lower on the list of some of the top quarterbacks in the league.

The biggest mark against Darnold is his turnovers, which could likely continue this upcoming season. He turned the ball over the most of any quarterback last season with 20, including 14 interceptions. He threw the third-most interceptions last season.

He threw six interceptions in two games against the Los Angeles Rams and a good portion of his fumbles came from bad blocking. Darnold is a quarterback who will turn the ball over at times because he learns from them. That is why he didn’t turn the ball over in the Seahawks’ three postseason games.

The only aspect that could slow Darnold’s impact for this upcoming season is the change in offensive coordinator from Kilnt Kubiak to Brian Fleury.

There isn’t the same continuity that the Seahawks would’ve liked in play-calling on offense, despite most of the offensive philosophy remaining the same. Some analysts, however, are saying that Darnold won’t be as good as a result like he didn’t go through multiple team changes and learn new offensive systems every year since 2022.

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