Sam Darnold’s Next Team Comes into Focus
He daggered them with a sweet game-winning touchdown three months ago, and he might become their next leader.
Sam Darnold’s Next Team Comes into Focus
That’s Sam Darnold, a free agent to be, who will reportedly be chased early next week by the Seattle Seahawks.
To pave the way for the pursuit, the Seahawks traded quarterback Geno Smith on Friday night — a March surprise — to the Las Vegas Raiders. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted, “Geno Smith is being traded to Las Vegas Raiders for a third round pick, per sources. Smith currently has one year remaining in his deal. The Raiders are trading for him without having a new deal in place.”
The Seahawks will receive a 3rd-Round draft pick for Smith, according to sources.
Ironically, the Raiders were the odds-on frontrunner to sign Darnold next week since it became apparent that he may not return to Minnesota. The Vikings allegedly have a contractual number in front of Darnold, similar to the Kirk Cousins situation last offseason, with “take it or leave it” stakes.
But now Darnold is expected to turn down the Vikings’ offer and perhaps join the Seahawks in free agency.
The Athletic‘s Michael-Shawn Dugar explained Friday night, “The Raiders traded the lower of their two third-round picks, which they acquired from the Jets in the Davante Adams trade last season. Seattle is expected to target free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold, league sources said.”
“Now, with Sam Howell and Jaren Hall the only quarterbacks on Seattle’s roster, the Seahawks are turning their attention to Darnold, 27, who is coming off a career-salvaging season,” he wrote.
“Another former Jets starter like Smith, Darnold took the Minnesota Vikings starting job in 2024 after J.J. McCarthy’s preseason knee injury. Darnold passed for 35 touchdowns and led the team to its winningest regular season since 1998.”
Darnold joined the Vikings about one year ago on a $10 million contract for one season and took the QB1 job when rookie passer J.J. McCarthy tore his meniscus. The once-a-bust signal-caller delivered 4,319 passing yards in 2024, along with 36 total touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
With Darnold in charge, Minnesota cruised through 16 games of the regular season before collapsing in the season’s final two games, which just so happened to be the most important. To put it bluntly, Darnold turned into a pumpkin, and most Vikings fans decided it was time to usher in the McCarthy era and let a Darnold join a new team — like the Seahawks.
If Seattle follows through with The Athletic reporting, it won’t rule out drafting a quarterback. Men like Jaxson Dark, Jalen Milroe, or Quinn Ewers could watch and develop under Darnold for a couple of seasons.
Earlier on Friday, prior to the Smith trade, the aforementioned Schefter claimed Darnold was unlikely to return to Minnesota after a few days of recent steam that suggested otherwise.
Darnold will turn 28 this summer. If the Seahawks plan goes through, he could agree to terms with Seattle on Monday at the earliest during free agency’s “legal tampering” phase.
Pro Bowl RB Could Be the Vikings’ Plan B
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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