Sam Darnold rises 4 spots in NFL.com QB power rankings after Week 2

It was a rollercoaster type of afternoon for Sam Darnold in Pittsburgh. His solid play in the second half resulted in a surge in the QB power rankings.

Sep 14, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a pass while being pressured by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Nick Shook of NFL.com is back with his weekly quarterback rankings, and the starting signal-caller for the Seattle Seahawks is on the rise.

After the team’s 17-13 home loss to the San Francisco 49ers in his regular-season debut with his newest employer, Sam Darnold sat at the 18th spot on Shook’s list. After Sunday’s 31-17 victory at Pittsburgh, the eight-year signal-caller moved up four spots to No. 14.

There are his numbers for the season. In two games, he’s completed 67.9 percent of his throws (38-of-56) for 445 yards (7.9 yards per attempt) and a pair of touchdowns, with two interceptions. He’s also run twice for 14 yards and been sacked only three times. His lone fumble in two games came late in the fourth quarter vs. the 49ers. He dropped back, the ball hit right tackle Abraham Lucas in the chest and was recovered by the Niners deep in San Francisco territory.

Sep 14, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) scrambles with the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Seahawks’ QB Sam Darnold makes a move upwards in the QB rankings

Keep in mind that 295 of those yards, both TD tosses and both picks came in last Sunday’s 14-point win over the Steelers. To his credit, Darnold served up that pair of interceptions in the first half (along with a 21-yard touchdown pass to rookie Tory Horton). In the final two quarters, he threw for 138 yards and one score, the latter to tight end A.J. Barner.

It’s safe to say that Darnold’s second-half performance last Sunday were far more impressive than his first six quarters with his newest team. It’s worth noting that all three of his turnovers came in the loss to the 49ers and the first half vs. the Steelers. Moving up Shook’s QB rankings is nice. More importantly, perhaps the growing pains are subsiding for Darnold and Klint Kubiak’s offense.

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