Ranking top free agent QB targets for the Seahawks, starting with Sam Darnold

The Seattle Seahawks have sent Geno Smith packing, dealing their starting QB to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a third-round draft pick. As Pete Carroll and the Raiders look to rebuild their offense around Geno, the Seahawks will look to reset at quarterback around a (presumably) younger option.

As we've mentioned several times, this isn't a great year to need a new starting QB, which was the best argument for keeping Geno around in the first place. Now that the cat is out of the bag, it's time to examine those options as real possibilities. Here are their top free agent QB optio in 2025. Let's begin with the guy who's expected to be at the top of their list.

1. Sam Darnold

The best quarterback who's about to hit the market was considered a bust and a write-off a year ago at this time. However, Sam Darnold is the latest QB to prove that you can come back from a bad start to your NFL career under the right circumstances. Darnold finally delivered on his promise in 2024 with the Vikings, posting a career best 66.2% completion rate, 4,319 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 102.5 passer rating. His QBR was 60.4, which ranked 14th in the league. At just 27 years old, Darnold's best football should still be ahead of him. The only real case against signing Darnold is that it's a small sample size, and for most of his career he's been one of the league's worst starters and a veritable turnover machine. Darnold's game grew by leaps and bounds this past season, though. The Seahawks won't find a better QB to start this year in the draft and he's by far the best option about to hit the market.

2. Justin Fields

There's a pretty big gap between Darnold and the rest of this free agent class, but the next name to pop up is that of Justin Fields. Coming into the league as a first-round pick with the Chicago Bears, Fields' career also got off to a rocky start at this level, and the Bears eventually shipped him off to the Pittsburgh Steelers for peanuts. Fields played relatively well the first six games of 2024, throwing for over 1,100 yards, five touchdowns and one interception while rushing for 289 yards and five more scores. Despite going 4-2 as their starter, Fields was eventually replaced in the lineup by Russell Wilson once he was fully healthy. Fields just turned 26 years old earlier this week, so he's still in his prime and has plenty of time to live up to the awesome potential he showed at Ohio State. If Seattle can't sign Darnold, Fields is far and away the next-best option.

3. Russell Wilson

This isn't going to happen, so there's really no point in discussing it. It would be little more than funny if the Seahawks were to bring Russ back though, albeit as a backup behind Sam Howell or whoever else they wind up bringing in to start at quarterback. Wilson had his moments here and there with the Steelers but he bombed down the stretch and once again wound up clashing with his coaching staff. His days of starting in the NFL are likely done, unless he winds up signing with the Giants. Wilson should retire with the Seahawks but that's the only form this theoretical reunion should take.

4. The Field

After Wilson there's a series of lesser-tier quarterbacks who might be worth considering as backup options, but none of them are qualified to start at this level. To name a few, there's Zach Wilson, Jacoby Brissett, Trey Lance, Taylor Heinicke, Marcus Mariota, Drew Lock and Jameis Winston, who would be entertaining if nothing else but not a legitimate long-term starting option. Realistically, the Seahawks are either going to sign Darnold or Fields, or they're going to look to find their next starter in the 2025 NFL draft.

1. Sam Darnold

2. Justin Fields

3. Russell Wilson

4. The Field

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