The Seattle Seahawks have been extremely busy this offseason. To start things off, they pulled off the massive move to trade quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders.
That alone would have made for a lot of change. However, the Seahawks ended up also trading star wide receiver DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are going to look very different during the 2025 season.
After trading away Smith, it was clear that Seattle needed to make a move for a new starting quarterback. They were able to do just that with the signing of former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.
All of that being said, what kind of grade have the Seahawks received for the major move?
Seattle Seahawks Receive Interesting Grade for $100.5 Million Signing
Darnold ended up receiving a three-year, $100.5 million contract from Seattle. He is being paid very handsomely for the big-time year that he was able to put up in 2024 with the Vikings.
Ben Arthur of Fox Sports has revealed his grade for the Darnold signing. He gave it a solid B.
“Darnold feels like a downgrade from Geno Smith, whom the Seahawks traded to the Raiders. But the terms of Darnold’s deal make it a huge win for Seattle, especially considering he was the top quarterback on the free-agent market. Both his APY and guarantees are outside of the top-15 for passers,” Arthur wrote.
“So to get a 27-year-old Darnold, who can be an above-average starter in spurts (as evident by his work with the Vikings), and the third-round pick from the Smith trade is strong business for the Seahawks. They can still pursue a long-term quarterback, too. What Darnold looks like outside of Kevin O’Connell’s system remains to be seen, but being reunited with Klint Kubiak — whom he worked with in San Francisco — is a plus.”
During the 2024 NFL season with Minnesota, Darnold ended up completing 66.2 percent of his pass attempts for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Those numbers offer hope that the Seahawks can build a championship contender around him.
Only time will tell, but Darnold is the new franchise quarterback in Seattle and will have a chance to prove that he can be a legitimate lead man. Hopefully for the Seahawks, he will be able to make that happen.
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