Does Sam Darnold Make the Seahawks Playoff Contenders in 2025?

You typically don't cut ties with a starting NFL quarterback without a plan.

The Seattle Seahawks had a plan. And they executed it. After trading quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday, Seattle signed former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold to a 3-year, $110.5-million contract on Monday.

Darnold now joins his fifth NFL team since entering the league, but there's no doubt his arrow is up after a career year with the Vikings.

Is he going to elevate Mike Macdonald's offense in a wide-open NFC West? Why did Seattle target him? What are the team's next moves, and how does this impact their strategy in April's draft?

Why the Seahawks Signed Sam Darnold

In short, the Seahawks' rationale for signing Darnold is that he was the best option on the market by a country mile.

Coming off a season where he posted 7.8 yards per attempt (YPA), the 27-year-old finally showed some of the playmaking upside that saw him drafted third overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. Amassing 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdowns, the counting stats certainly help his argument.

However, on an efficiency basis, Darnold still struggled a bit. He posted a flat 0.00 expected points added per drop back (EPA/db) in large part thanks to 12 interceptions and 48 sacks taken.

Those trends only continued worse as he posted -0.56 EPA/db in Minnesota's final two games: a Week 18 game versus the Detroit Lions and a Wild Card matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. Those two losses ended the Vikings' 14-win season in a flash.

Still, his age and raw production trump the rest of the free agency group by a wide margin. Plus, Seattle first picks at 18th overall in April, so they're not well-positioned for either of this class's top two quarterbacks, Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders.

At roughly $36.8 million per year, Darnold's contract isn't an enormous investment by league standards -- and likely less than the one Smith required. It gives the Seahawks flexibility to solve their quarterback problem elsewhere if he regresses badly away from a great situation in Minneapolis.

Seahawks' 2025 Outlook With Sam Darnold

It's fair to say that Darnold's expectations probably aren't a plug-and-play contender in the NFC, but don't write them off entirely.

The Seahawks also dealt WR D.K. Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a second-round pick, and they've cut WR Tyler Lockett. Quickly, Seattle will have to rebuild Darnold's supporting cast, but it's not impossible.

In addition to more picks in the first three rounds of the 2025 draft than any other team (5), they currently still have over $30 million in cap space with Darnold under their banner. It's a solid draft class of wide receivers and tight ends outside Round 1, too.

Though both starting tackles are good, expect them to target an interior offensive lineman or two, as well. I've got them selecting North Dakota State's Grey Zabel after a trade back in my latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft.

Their running game is set with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, and they return most key contributors from numberFire's 10th-ranked schedule-adjusted defense from a year ago.

A lot of Seattle's outlook depends on whether or not Darnold can channel his pre-Week 18 play from a season ago. The dollars behind the deal insist Seattle isn't super confident, so I wouldn't be surprised if they're still in the market for Jaxson Dart at No. 18 should he slide. Dart's impressive profile is worth a click.

If either end up producing anything close to what Darnold gave the Vikings last year, Seattle's 50-to-1 odds to win Super Bowl LX won't stay as long as they are now. However, I still see the Seahawks as entering a franchise reboot.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.