Seahawks new QB-HC duo among NFL's best

The Seattle Seahawks are ushering in a new era with Sam Darnold as the team's starting quarterback.

Darnold will team up with second-year head coach Mike Macdonald to try and get the Seahawks back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

It won't be easy for Darnold and Macdonald to team up as they are going against quarterbacks and head coaches who have been together for much longer, but there's a lot of potential for the pair. CBS Sports writer Cody Benjamin ranked all 13 new quarterback and head coach pairings, and Darnold and Macdonald came in at No. 7.

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"Seattle made something of a lateral move, at least stylistically, by dealing Geno Smith and signing Darnold; both veterans have snappy arms and a penchant for forced throws," Benjamin wrote.

"The difference is Darnold, who finally gained the authority of a former top-three pick in Minnesota's cozy surroundings, is younger and slightly cheaper. He did fold under the lights to close 2024, so hopefully Seattle's front can support him as well as Macdonald's defense."

The six pairings that ranked higher than the Seahawks were Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots, Trevor Lawrence and Liam Coen of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears, J.J. McCarthy and Kevin O'Connell of the Minnesota Vikings, Dak Prescott and Brian Schottenheimer of the Dallas Cowboys and Geno Smith and Pete Carroll of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Smith and Carroll are a "new" pairing, but they have experience working together with the Seahawks. In their first year together, they made the playoffs in Seattle, and that should be the goal for Darnold and Macdonald.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold reacts in the closing seconds of the game against the Los Angeles Rams. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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