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Bump & Stacy React: Why Sam Darnold 'fits' as Seahawks QB

It didn’t take long for the Seattle Seahawks to fill their void at quarterback.

Reports: Seahawks agree to terms with QB Sam Darnold

Less than 72 hours after reportedly trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Seahawks and 27-year-old former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold agreed to terms on a three-year deal worth $100.5 million, according to multiple reports. The contract includes $55 million of guaranteed money and $37.5 million in the first year, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Just minutes after the news broke, former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus and co-host Stacy Rost gave their instant reaction on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.

“We got our quarterback,” Bumpus said. “A quarterback who fits this offense of what we think this offense is going to be. He ran a similar offense with the Minnesota Vikings. I think priority No. 1 was to get Sam Darnold. We talked about all the other possibilities, and I’m glad that they went this route.”

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A good fit

Darnold, a former No. 3 overall NFL Draft pick, is coming off a breakout Pro Bowl season with Minnesota that resurrected his once-disappointing NFL career.

Filling in for injured rookie first-round QB J.J. McCarthy, Darnold took over and helped lead the Vikings to a 14-3 record while completing 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He finished fifth in the league in passing yards, fifth in TD passes and 14th in QBR. He also led five game-winning drives, which was tied for second-most in the league.

Some of the luster of Darnold’s breakthrough was dulled by a rough final two games, as he struggled in a Week 18 loss to the Detroit Lions and a wild-card playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Bumpus believes new Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak can help Darnold continue to grow. Both Kubiak and Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell are products of the Shanahan coaching tree and run variations of the Shanahan scheme.

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“You can help mold and develop him,” Bumpus said. “I just like the situation. … Look, it’s a gamble. Every move you make in sports – whether it’s hiring new coaches, signing new players, hitting the draft – it’s a gamble. I’m not sitting here and guaranteeing that this is going to work out.

“I think that Kubiak and (head coach) Mike Macdonald are looking at him and saying, ‘We can help him grow here. We can put you in a quarterback-friendly offense and help you grow.’ Now, it’s about supporting him with the run game. You’ve got to get this run game going, you need another receiver (and need to) go hit free agency and get yourself an offensive lineman.”

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Week 16 against his new team 🔥 @Seahawks pic.twitter.com/4XfGfI0jld

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) March 10, 2025

A favorable contract

By all acounts, Darnold’s contract appears to be pretty favorable for the Seahawks.

Darnold’s reported $33.5 million annual average would currently rank just 18th among NFL quarterbacks, according to OverTheCap. Smith was looking for a deal in the range of $40 million to $45 million per year, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.

As Rost pointed out, that allows the Seahawks to remain competitive in the short-term while still giving them the flexibility to pursue their quarterback of the future in the NFL Draft.

“Having Sam here lets you (stay competitive), while also looking to the future,” Rost said. “This is a three-year deal. This is $33 million. This is not betting the farm on Sam Darnold to take you to a Super Bowl.”

See video of Bump and Stacy’s reaction at the top of this post. Catch Bump and Stacy from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.