Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold throws in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold throws in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High.
The Minnesota Vikings are 5-0 heading into Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. Kyler Murray — who was signed over the offseason on a one-year deal worth $1.3 million and a no-tag clause built in — has started three of those victories.
No matter how this season finishes, the Vikings will play it out with a starting quarterback set to hit free agency when it’s over. For now, there isn’t an NFL reporter or football prognosticator anywhere in the world who could tell you with any conviction who Minnesota’s QB will be in 2027.
Meanwhile, the quarterback who led the Vikings to a 14-3 record in 2024, then signed a three-year, $100.5 million deal to go win a Super Bowl in Seattle, is suddenly facing his own (rather surprising) set of security questions out West.
SAM DARNOLD TONIGHT: 2 INTERCEPTIONS 27/51 COMPLETIONS 5 SACKS 52.6 RTG The Seahawks are NEVER winning another Super Bowl with this guy 😭😭 https://t.co/oFIq5wNamh
— Football Stinkers (@NFLStinkers) October 16, 2026
To start the season, Darnold has completed just 60.4% of his passes for 1,033 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions in five Seahawks games. His passer rating is a rather abysmal 77.4 but his seven interceptions are worse — tied with Drake Maye for second in the NFL behind only Justin Herbert (8).
Report: Seahawks might let Sam Darnold walk this offseason
Entering Week 7, the Seahawks are 3-3 and Darnold hasn’t been healthy. He left the opener against New England with a hip injury, after the first series, and missed Seattle’s Week 2 win at Arizona. The Seahawks are is 2-3 when he has started this season.
And according to Dan Graziano (ESPN), with the way Darnold’s deal is built, Seattle has an opportunity to get out from under his deal (which has no guaranteed money left in it) and save $10 million this offseason. Obviously, it’s a path they must be considering six games in, or Graziano isn’t writing this…
I’m a bit curious about Sam Darnold’s situation, as he’ll have one year left on his contact after this season. He is scheduled to make $35.5 million in 2027, but none of that money is guaranteed. There is a $10 million roster bonus that vests on the fifth day of the league year (March 16), so the Seahawks will want to decide by then whether they want him on next year’s team. But if they do, they’d also look to extend him beyond that.
What’s interesting to me is that this is a different setup than Darnold had last offseason, when $17.5 million of his 2026 compensation became guaranteed on the fifth day after the Super Bowl. That was a no-brainer, of course, since Seattle won the Super Bowl with him five days earlier. But if this season doesn’t go as well (the Seahawks are 3-3, and only Justin Herbert has thrown more interceptions than Darnold’s seven), Seattle has four more weeks to make the decision on Darnold than it did a year ago.
Dan Graziano – ESPN
Related: Vikings Name Kyler Murray Starting Quarterback
Back in February, the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX. Last regular season, Darnold threw for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
One year earlier, in 2024, Sam Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns as the Minnesota Vikings’ starting QB, a season that completely changed the trajectory of his career and added more legitimacy to head coach Kevin O’Connell’s resume as a “QB whisperer.”
12/22/2024: Sam Darnold connects with Justin Jefferson on a perfect throw and catch to gain the lead late in Seattle. A Theo Jackson interception off Geno Smith would later seal a 27-24 Vikings win. https://t.co/BBXfCwb4Jg
— Jason Harmon (@JasonHarmonNFL) May 30, 2026
Seahawks impressed by Darnold’s backup, Drew Lock
Magnifying the rough start for Darnold has been backup QB Drew Lock, who has completed 35 of 48 passes for 422 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in the limited gameplay (1 start + relief) he’s received this season. On top of his play, per Jeremy Fowler (ESPN), Lock has been impressing in Seattle behind the scenes as well.
It’s not helping that Drew Lock has been impressive for the Seahawks, both behind the scenes and in relief of Darnold. Darnold has earned a lot of street cred with Seattle, but he must limit the turnovers, especially with the team’s dominant defense.
Jeremy Fowler – ESPN
When the Minnesota Vikings traded J.J. McCarthy to the New York Giants on Sept. 28, in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick, they blew up any thought of a future QB plan beyond Kyler Murray. And there’s a pretty decent chance the 29-year-old isn’t coming back either.
Kyler Murray… or Sam Darnold?
He’s been okay through five games, when on the field. He’s only played three full games (plus 11 snaps in Week 1). So far, he’s completed 69 of 101 passes for 662 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
If he plays the rest of the way like he did Week 5 against the Saints, then he will cost $50 million per year to keep on a multiyear deal. If he stumbles or can’t stay healthy… will the Vikings even want to keep him?
Kyler Murray delivered his cleanest game as a Viking, completing 80% of his passes. 24/30, 229 PASS YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT, 51 RUSH YDS vs Saints Murray helped Minnesota move to 5-0 and keep control of the NFC North. https://t.co/FN66Dx28V4
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) October 11, 2026
Meanwhile, out West, Seattle will have four weeks to make a decision on Sam Darnold, also 29, after the Super Bowl is played, before his roster bonus vests on March 16. If they choose to make him a free agent before then, not only would KOC’s ears quickly perk up, but so would general manager Nolan Teasley’s.
Let’s not forget, the Vikings’ new GM was not here when Rob Brzezinski and Kevin O’Connell made the move on Murray, who’s contract is set to expire this offseason, just days before the Seahawks will be forced to make a decision on Darnold.
Teasley was, however, in the Seattle front office when the Seahawks went all in on Darnold two offseasons ago… right before the two won a Super Bowl together.