Sam Darnold is the new starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. He was signed to a three-year, $100.5 million contract during NFL free agency with the hope that he can continue replicating the success that he found last season with the Minnesota Vikings.
Speaking of the 2024 season with the Vikings, Darnold led the team to a 14-3 record. They were one of the best teams in the NFL, which was due in large part to the veteran quarterback's play.
After trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, Darnold gives the team a new look offensively. No one knows what to expect, but the Seahawks believe in his ability to lead them back to contention.
While the confidence from Seattle is clear, others are not so sure. Some do not expect the pairing between the Seahawks and Darnold to go well.
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One of those people is Bleacher Report analyst Alex Kay.
In a new column, Kay named Darnold one of the five quarterbacks across the NFL who could get benched during the 2025 season.
"Due to the way Darnold's contract is structured, the team has a reasonable out as early as next offseason. Cutting him after the 2025 campaign would incur $25.6 million in dead money and only end up costing the club $37.5 million for a single season," Kay wrote.
"With the finances of moving on from him workable and Milroe waiting in the wings, it wouldn't be a shock if Darnold winds up riding the pine should his tenure with the Seahawks get off on the wrong foot."
During the 2024 season with Minnesota, Darnold completed 66.2 percent of his pass attempts for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also ran for 212 yards and a score.
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Jalen Milroe has a chance to be the long-term franchise quarterback for the Seahawks. He has elite physical traits and extremely high upside. Seattle did not draft him in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft to sit long-term.
Whether that playing time for Milroe comes during the 2025 season or in the future, it will happen at some point. Hopefully for Darnold, he's able to continue playing at a high level and maintain his starting job for the entirety of his contract.
Only time will tell, but there is definite pressure on Darnold with Milroe working for playing time behind him.
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