Football is weird. One minute you're a "bust" seeing ghosts in New York, and the next you’re the quarterback of the number-one seed in the NFC. That’s the reality for Sam Darnold right now. If you haven't been paying attention to the Seattle Seahawks this year, you’ve missed one of the strangest, most effective career rehabilitations in NFL history.
Honestly, nobody saw this coming. Not to this extent.
When the Minnesota Vikings let Darnold walk after his surprisingly good 2024 campaign, the narrative was simple: "He was a product of Kevin O'Connell's system." People figured he’d regress once he left the cozy confines of Minneapolis and Justin Jefferson’s catch radius. Instead, Darnold just finished the 2025 regular season with a 14-3 record. He’s only the second quarterback ever to hit that specific record, joining some guy named Tom Brady.
The Numbers Most People Are Missing
You’ll hear the "game manager" label thrown around a lot. It’s the easiest way to dismiss a guy who plays for a team with a top-tier defense. But looking at the 2025 stats, that label doesn't really stick.
Darnold threw for 4,048 yards this season. That makes him only the third 4,000-yard passer in Seahawks history. He also tossed 25 touchdowns. For context, Jordan Love—who everyone agrees is a franchise cornerstone in Green Bay—finished with 23 touchdowns and 3,381 yards in 15 games.
The efficiency is what’s actually wild.
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- Completion Rate: 67.7% (ranked 7th in the league).
- Yards Per Attempt: 8.5 (a massive number that shows he isn't just checking it down).
- Passer Rating: 99.1.
- Record as a starter (last 2 seasons): 28-6.
That last stat is almost impossible to wrap your head around. Since the start of 2024, Sam Darnold has won more games than almost anyone.
What the Vikings Got Wrong
The Vikings decided to bet the house on J.J. McCarthy. It makes sense on paper—you get a rookie contract, you build the trenches, and you hope the kid develops. But 2025 was a "what might have been" year for Minnesota. While McCarthy struggled with consistency and a 56.8% completion rate, Darnold was busy lighting up the NFC West.
The irony? Darnold is actually playing better away from Kevin O'Connell.
Reuniting with Klint Kubiak in Seattle was the catalyst. Kubiak has him playing with a "short memory" that he never quite had earlier in his career. In Week 16, he faced his kryptonite: the Los Angeles Rams. He’d previously thrown four picks against them in a miserable loss. But in the rematch, he led a game-winning drive in overtime, capped with a two-point conversion strike that basically clinched the division.
That’s the difference between the 2025 Sam Darnold and the Jets-era version. The old Sam would have folded after those first-half mistakes. This version just keeps slinging.
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The Jordan Love Comparison
It’s hard to talk about the NFC right now without mentioning Jordan Love. The Packers' QB is widely considered "elite" or at least "next-tier." In the 2025 regular season, Love actually had a higher passer rating (101.1) and a lower interception count (only 6) than Darnold.
But here is where the nuance matters.
Love’s Packers ranked 30th in total offensive drives this year. They were efficient, but they didn't have the ball much. Darnold, on the other hand, was asked to carry a heavier volume of the passing game early in the season when the Seahawks' run game was still finding its feet. While Love is the more polished "pro-style" operator, Darnold has become the superior deep-ball threat. According to PFF, Darnold ranked near the top of the league in "Big-Time Throws" this season, frequently connecting with Jaxon Smith-Njigba on routes that Geno Smith used to shy away from.
The Red Zone Problem and the "C+" Second Half
It wasn't all sunshine and 400-yard games. If you’re a Seahawks fan, you’re probably still a little nervous heading into the playoffs. Why? Because the second half of the season was... shaky.
Darnold’s "semester grades" tell a tale of two seasons. From Weeks 1-9, he was an MVP candidate. He had 16 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. The back half of the year saw him throw 9 touchdowns against 9 interceptions. That 1:1 ratio is scary.
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There was a game against the Vikings—his former team—where he threw for just 128 yards and no scores. Seattle won 26-0, but it was purely because their defense is a buzzsaw. He’s also struggled in the red zone. One game this year, the Seahawks kicked six field goals because they just couldn't punch it in.
The 2026 Contract Situation
Here is the part nobody is talking about yet. Darnold signed a three-year, $100.5 million deal with Seattle. On the surface, that sounds like they’re committed. But the contract is actually very team-friendly.
If Darnold craters in the playoffs, the Seahawks can actually cut him after June 1, 2026, and save $27.5 million against the cap. They’d only take a $6.4 million dead money hit. It’s basically a "prove it" deal masquerading as a long-term contract.
He has to prove he can win when the defense isn't bailing him out. He’s 28 now. This is the prime.
What This Means for Your Roster and Your Team
If you’re looking at what to take away from the Sam Darnold resurgence, it’s all about the environment. He isn't a different human being than he was in New York; he just has a better infrastructure.
- Trust the Scheme: If you’re evaluating QBs, look at the Offensive Coordinator. Klint Kubiak’s system minimizes Darnold's tendency to panic under pressure.
- Record vs. Talent: Don't let a 28-6 record over two years blind you. Darnold still has the highest turnover rate in the league when pressured (7.8%). If a defense can get home with four rushers, he still sees the occasional ghost.
- The "Value" Play: In many ways, Darnold has become the modern Kirk Cousins—good enough to win 13 games, but someone you’re always a little afraid of in a loser-goes-home scenario.
The next step for anyone following this story is to watch the Divisional Round matchup. The Seahawks have a first-round bye as the #1 seed. If Darnold can have a clean, zero-turnover game against a top-ten defense like the 49ers or the Rams, the "bust" label is officially buried forever. If he throws three picks and they go one-and-done, expect the Seattle front office to start looking at the 2026 draft class very, very closely.