Sam Darnold brings lethal deep ball to Seahawks, advanced stats show

Considering the Seattle Seahawks are reportedly set to give free agent quarterback Sam Darnold more than $100 million over the next three years, it's safe to say they have high hopes for their new signal-caller.

Darnold, 27, was the top free agent on the market after a career year with the Minnesota Vikings. The former No. 3 overall pick played up to his draft status, completing 66.2 percent of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection, and even earned some down-ballot MVP votes.

Darnold had a great season overall, but if there's one thing to really write home about, it was his excellence when throwing deep.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold throws at the Pro Bowl Games — 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

According to Next Gen Stats, Darnold had 1,023 yards on passes of 20+ air yards, by far the most in the league. For comparison, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love ranked second in that category with 866 yards. Darnold also led the league in deep completions with 28 and deep touchdown passes with nine.

Geno Smith already had a solid deep ball this season, and now the Seahawks are getting an aparent upgrade in that department. Before getting too excited, however, it's important to put Darnold's new situation into context.

First, Darnold won't have Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison to throw to in Seattle, as the Seahawks gutted their receiver room over the past few days. Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be his top target, and while the third-year wideout on a strong upward trajectory, even the most diehard Seahawks fans will agree that he's not on Jefferson's level.

Second, he'll be working with a much weaker offensive line, at least as it currently stands, so getting time to throw deep will be difficult. Minnesota's offensive line wasn't great last season, but it was definitely better than Seattle's, even though that could be said for all but a few teams.

Darnold will face an uphill battle to maintain his excellent deep ball from 2024, but if he can, it would be great news for the Seahawks' new-look offense.

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