Sam Darnold revenge game among NFL's best 2025 matchups

In 2024, Sam Darnold revived his career with the Minnesota Vikings, passing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns to earn his first Pro Bowl selection.

At some point in 2025, he'll look to bring down the Vikings as a member of the Seattle Seahawks.

Indeed, Darnold, who signed a three-year deal worth more than $100 million with the Seahawks in free agency, will welcome his former team to Seattle this season. That storyline is so strong, in fact, that NFL.com's Kevin Patra believes this could be one of the best games on the 2025 schedule.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold reacts after passing for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

"This will be in plenty of 'revenge game' columns this offseason, which adds to the anticipation as Sam Darnold takes on his former team in Seattle," Patra wrote. "On their own, both of these clubs bring intriguing questions to the 2025 campaign. Can J.J. McCarthy seamlessly take over a well-oiled Kevin O'Connell offense and keep it running smoothly? Was O'Connell's scheme the reason for Darnold's success, or has he finally turned the corner from his ghost-seeing days? Will the Seahawks' revamped offense under Klint Kubiak shine or take time to jell? What role will Jalen Milroe play? Two clubs that have high-variance outcomes make for an intriguing matchup."

The Seahawks' revamped offense, both from a coaching and personnel standpoint, has drawn a lot of attention this offseason. Not only do they have a new starter in Darnold, but a completelydifferent receiving corps and now a new-look offensive line thanks to the draft.

On the other side of the coin, the Vikings have a fair share of questions too. McCarthy taking over for Darnold is obviously the main one, but it's also fair to ask if the team will come back to Earth after frankly overachieving in 2024.

The NFL will announce its full schedule on May 14, so it won't be long until fans can circle this game on their calendars.

More Seahawks on SI stories