Crazy Question? Asking Whether Sam Darnold Will Start In Seattle Is Totally Fair
Sam Darnold, still relatively new to the Seattle Seahawks after signing a big free agent contract in March following an outstanding season with the Minnesota Vikings, has apparently picked up right where he left off last season.
Except, we're not talking about him picking up where he left off on a career-best 35-touchdown season. We're talking where he left off in his final two games of the season when he struggled in consecutive losses to the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams.
Darnold, you see, looked more like the quarterback who was lost in the wilderness his first six NFL seasons than the star who surprised everyone with great work throughout 2024 during the OTA session that was open to the media recently.
That uneven performance has been the lead topic of sportstalk radio in Seattle. And it got to the point that Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald was asked Tuesday if there's a chance his new quarterback might not start for the team in 2025, even if healthy.
"No, you guys are crazy," Macdonald told the hosts on Seattle Sports 710-AM. "I respect that you've got to ask it, but it's just a crazy question. It's just not going to happen. Like, Sam's our starting quarterback. We love him. He's doing a tremendous job."
Tremendous job? Darnold threw two interceptions in a span of three plays during a 7-on-7 period in the red zone in the open OTA practice. He also held the football too long on multiple occasions, which basically destroyed the timing of plays.
And all this against no pass rush. With no possibility of being hit. And not really at full speed.
Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald speaks during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Macdonald: Media Doesn't Know
And still, Macdonald politely took umbrage to the implied suggestion Darnold might not be great for the Seahawks.
"I think it's funny that the media's out for like the first day and then, all of a sudden, they know exactly how good we're going to be and how good all the players are," the coach said. "Like, we haven't even put on pads yet. We haven't made one tackle."
All that is fair, but Macdonald should probably get comfortable with this kind of treatment because context matters.
Darnold is not just another quarterback the Seahawks added to the mix this offseason. He's been anointed.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) reacts after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Darnold's Big Money Will Add Scrutiny
The Seahawks traded away Geno Smith after he played for the team for five seasons, the last three as the starter. Then they signed Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract to replace Smith.
And that means Darnold is going to be held to a very high standard by the public because expectations are high. Macdonald – and Darnold – should probably get comfortable with that heightened level of scrutiny.
And then there's also the history that Seattle fans and probably the media have lived that neither Macdonald nor Darnold were around for or perhaps remember.
You'll recall that in 2012, the Seahawks signed free agent Matt Flynn away from the Green Bay Packers to be their presumed starting quarterback. But the club also selected Russell Wilson in the third round of the NFL draft.
And Wilson beat out Flynn in training camp.
Fast-forward to this year, when the Seahawks picked Alabama's Jalen Milroe in the third round of the draft a month after signing Darnold as a free agent. The dynamic in the Seahawks' quarterback room thus closely resembles what it was in the summer of 2012.
So, while Macdonald believes asking about Darnold not starting is loony, it's actually a fair question given the Seahawks history.