ESPN points out more good things about Sam Darnold's contract with Seahawks

Sam Darnold signed an expensive contract with the Seattle Seahawks, but there are positives.

Dec 16, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a pass against the Chicago Bears during the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Seattle Seahawks didn't want to wait until the NFL Draft to get their solution on replacing Geno Smith, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders.

That answer was signing Sam Darnold to a three-year, $110.5 million contract that will keep him among the league's starters for a second consecutive season.

ESPN writer Seth Walder praised the signing and commended the Seahawks for getting it done.

Nov 3, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) warms up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

"The optimistic view is that the Seahawks landed Darnold for less than the Buccaneers paid to sign Baker Mayfield and quite a bit less than the Saints paid to sign Derek Carr for in 2023...that $55 million guarantee is a lot less than, say, Daniel Jones received with the Giants two years ago, and the contract is cheaper overall than I was expecting," Walder wrote.

The Seahawks were given a "B-" for the move, which is a good gauge for it because it certainly isn't a surefire slam dunk, but considering the fact that he was the best quarterback on the open market, it's a good deal for Seattle.

Darnold was placed in a great situation with the Minnesota Vikings, capitalizing on rookie J.J. McCarthy's offseason injury and parlaying that with a 14-3 record in the regular season.

The Vikings did finish the season on a dud, losing the regular season finale to the Detroit Lions that cost them the NFC North and the No. 1 seed. Minnesota then had to go on the road for its Wild Card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, where the team lost by multiple scores.

The Seahawks hope Darnold can lead them back to the playoffs, where they think they can yield different results than what he was able to accomplish with the Vikings.

Sep 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) drops back to pass against the Houston Texans in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

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