Former Vikings QB Named NFL’s Riskiest Offseason Move
The Minnesota Vikings did not make the cut last week regarding the NFL’s riskiest offseason moves, but one of their own from the 2024 campaign did.
Sam Darnold’s departure to Seattle is among the NFL’s riskiest offseason gambles — and it’s not too far removed from his reclamation season.
He’s Sam Darnold, a quarterback who vamoosed this offseason for the Seattle Seahawks, where he’ll fill the QB1 spot on the depth chart.
Per Bleacher Report, the Seahawks are “betting everything” on Darnold.
These are the details.
NFL Offseason Riskiest Move? Sam Darnold Is One Theory.
On a list of the NFL offseason riskiest moves — five of them — Darnold took home gold, according to Bleacher Report‘s Kristopher Knox.
Knox explained, “The Seattle Seahawks’ gamble is a risk on another level entirely. Like the Rodgers signing, it has the potential to blow up in Seattle’s face and cost jobs. However, it’s a risk Seattle didn’t necessarily have to take.”
“Seattle had a two-time Pro Bowl quarterback in Geno Smith. Head coach Mike Macdonald inherited him last year, but general manager John Schneider — who has been on the job since 2010 — had a hand in bringing in Smith in 2019 and re-signing him several times since. Unable to work out an extension with Smith this offseason, the Seahawks jettisoned him to the Las Vegas Raiders before turning to Darnold in free agency.”
Darnold collected a handsome paycheck, though the deal is easy for Seattle to move on next offseason, if necessary.
Knox added, “To land Darnold, they handed out a three-year, $100.5 million deal that includes $55 million guaranteed. While the financial investment isn’t egregious for a starting quarterback, it’s a lot for a seven-year veteran with exactly one good season on his resume.”
Sam Darnold’s Trajectory in Seattle
No matter what, sans injury, of course, Darnold will get the QB1 nod in Seattle out of the gate. That’s what $100.5 million quarterbacks do.
But Seahawks fans and interested NFL personalities will closely monitor to see if Darnold’s rebirth with the Vikings was exclusive to Kevin O’Connell’s system. In the last three seasons, O’Connell has extracted the best from Kirk Cousins in 2022 and 2023, made journeyman quarterback Joshua Dobbs a household name for three weeks, enabled Nick Mullens to throw 400-yard passing games effortlessly, and propelled Darnold to a 14-win season.
There’s a small chance that Darnold reverts to “Sam Darnold” with a negative connotation from the 2018-2023 era.
A Full Reclamation with Vikings Last Season
Make no mistake: Darnold totally revitalized everything about his name with the Vikings last season. His team finished 2024 with a 14-3 record, while Darnold delivered 4,319 passing yards and 36 total touchdowns. He was even interwoven in midseason MVP conversations.
The Vikings lost Darnold’s rookie teammate, J.J. McCarthy, in August, but by September, fans had developed a rapport with Darnold and trusted him with the enterprise. He played marvelously for 17 weeks before turning into a pumpkin in Week 18 and the playoffs.
After the faceplant, no Vikings fan was too excited about a sequel, and now McCarthy is in line to take the QB1 job in 2025.
Two Hungry QBs behind Him on Seahawks’ Depth Chart
Darnold also has friendly competition in his midst. The Seahawks drafted Alabama’s Jalen Milroe from Round 3 in April and signed free-agent passer Drew Lock shortly before the Milroe selection.
The 2024 version of Darnold would have no problem keeping Milroe and Lock at bay, but otherwise, those men are hungry for their chance to take the reins of QB1.
In fact, and somewhat predictably, national media have already chirped about Milroe’s takeover date — the nature of the beast when executing a risky move like signing Darnold to a sizable contract.
More Bleacher Report Thoughts on Darnold as the Riskiest Move
Knox also added more context on Darnold’s risk: “A couple of things are potentially concerning about this deal. For one, Darnold thrived in 2024 under Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and with top-tier pass-catchers like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. Outside of that support system, he’s been an average-at-best player his entire career.”
“Secondly, Darnold appeared to revert to his previous form when faced with heavy pressure in Minnesota’s regular-season finale and in the playoffs. He’s now going to a team with a lesser supporting cast and with some question marks along the interior offensive line. With all of that said, Darnold was the top signal-caller available in free agency, and, at 28, he could still provide a long-term answer.”
The Vikings have lost the best quarterback on the market to free agency in back-to-back offseasons: Kirk Cousins to the Falcons in 2024 and Darnold to Seattle in 2025.
Knox added, “However, Seattle shouldn’t have been in a position to desperately pursue him. It had Smith. It has Drew Lock and rookie third-round pick Jalen Milroe. Given what we’ve seen from Darnold in the past, there’s no guarantee he’ll finish the season as QB1 — though Macdonald believes ‘it’s crazy’ to wonder if he’ll be the starter Week 1. It could all work out, of course. Darnold’s salary is manageable.”
“He has experience with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who was with Darnold in 2023 as the San Francisco 49ers’ passing game coordinator. Maybe Darnold’s Pro Bowl campaign was only a glimpse of what’s to come, and his end-of-year struggles an aberration. If Darnold flops and Smith takes the Raiders into the postseason, however, Macdonald and Schneider will likely be looking for work in 2026.”
Darnold will face his old team, the Vikings, in Week 13 at Lumen Field.
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