Seahawks fill QB void with Sam Darnold. Is he an upgrade over Geno Smith?

Eric Williams

NFL Reporter

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider wants his franchise to return to its winning ways.

Well, Schneider believes he took a big step in the right direction by securing the most coveted quarterback in free agency, signing Sam Darnold to a three-year, $110 million deal that includes $55 million guaranteed. The only remaining question — and it’s a big one — is will he be the club’s long-term answer?

The Seahawks moved on from a productive signal-caller in Geno Smith by trading him to the Las Vegas Raiders this weekend, in part because Schneider did not want to invest big money for the long haul in a 34-year-old QB.

Instead, the Seahawks go with Darnold, seven years younger and familiar with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and the West Coast, zone-based run scheme he will install for the Seahawks.

Kubiak was the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers in 2023 when Darnold was the team’s backup. Darnold also starred in a similar offensive system while putting up MVP-caliber numbers for head coach Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings last season.

Darnold helped to lead Minnesota to a 14-3 record, throwing for career highs of 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, with just 12 interceptions. Darnold also played well against the Seahawks, passing for 246 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-24 win in Seattle in Week 16. But he struggled mightily in the final two games of the season — a loss to the Detroit Lions with the NFC ‘s top seed on the line and a wild-card loss to the Rams — completing just 53% of his passes while taking 11 sacks.

Schneider has said the Seahawks want to get back to being more balanced on offense and lean more on the running game to take pressure off their QB. To do that, Seattle will need more talented bodies in the interior of the offensive line, along with playmakers on the perimeter after trading away No. 1 receiver DK Metcalf and releasing popular veteran Tyler Lockett.

The Seahawks kept two important pieces to an improved defense by signing linebacker Ernest Jones and defensive tackle Jarran Reed to multiyear contracts before the start of free agency. That preserves two foundational pieces for a defense that held opposing offenses to 18.4 points a game over the final eight games of the year — six of which were wins. Despite a 10-7 mark overall, Seattle missed the playoffs and did not win a postseason game during Smith’s three-year tenure.

In Darnold, the Seahawks believe they’ve secured an upgrade at the all-important quarterback position. They’ll know soon enough whether his career resurgence is for real and if he makes them a contender. If not, they could find themselves right where they just were with Smith.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams.

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