Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold was "mostly impressive because of his discipline" as a passer in training camp, according to Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. Per Dugar, Darnold ranked second in the NFL in offensive plays of at least 20 yards (62) while playing for the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. However, Dugar writes, "that's not the Darnold we saw in training camp." It appears the Seahawks may be placing more of an emphasis on ball control and safe completions in the short and intermediate areas of the field in Darnold's first season with the team. The 28-year-old is reliant on big yardage and touchdown totals to score fantasy points. Darnold profiles as a fantasy QB3 who may not factor at all in 2025.
Sep 3, 2025 12:03 PM EST
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold led a touchdown drive on Seattle's opening drive during Friday's preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Darnold completed all four of his passes for 34 yards on a drive that ended in a touchdown run by running back Zach Charbonnet. The play calling provided Darnold with easy completions in an obvious effort to get him comfortable at game speed. Any quarterback can complete short passes. The question will be how much the Seahawks cut it loose downfield. However, Darnold was under center for much of the drive and was on the move for several of his throws. That type of play calling will cater to Darnold's strengths and take pressure off a questionable offensive line. If the Seahawks can play great defense and call plays similarly to Friday, Darnold will have a great chance to assuage the doubters this season.
Aug 16, 2025 10:48 AM EST
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said the team is still working through the plan for some of their players for their second preseason game on Friday against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he did confirm that quarterback Sam Darnold will be among those that play. "Our guys are going start the game out," Macdonald said. "We'll see how long it goes." Darnold has looked good in his first training camp with the Seahawks and will now try to transfer that over to game action for probably a couple of series on Friday. The 28-year-old former third overall pick in 2018 by the New York Jets out of USC has been a late bloomer in his NFL. He finally broke out as Minnesota's starter last year, throwing for a career-best 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 picks in 17 regular-season starts. It was a cool story, but Darnold is unlikely to come close to matching those numbers in Seattle. RotoBaller has him ranked as the QB27.
Aug 13, 2025 7:30 PM EST
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has taken command of the locker room from the start of camp, emerging as the team's clear-cut starter for the 2025 season. With a revamped offense featuring veteran wideout Cooper Kupp and deep threat Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Darnold is in position to thrive. Seattle is hoping that Darnold can replicate his success from last season with Minnesota, where he threw for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions over 17 games. The former first-round pick has the tools to elevate a promising group of weapons, making him an intriguing late-round sleeper in fantasy football formats.
Jul 23, 2025 2:22 PM EST
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold had a career year in 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings, completing 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 17 regular-season games to lead Minnesota to a 14-3 record. However, the former third overall pick in 2018 finished on a sour note in his final two games and knows he must prove himself again in 2025 with a new team. Darnold has familiarity with new Seattle offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak from their one year together in San Fran in 2023, but the move from Minnesota to Seattle is definitely a downgrade in terms of overall offense and the weapons he'll have in Seattle. The 28-year-old was excellent throwing downfield in 2024, but it helped to have one of the best receivers in the league in Justin Jefferson. Fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting a repeat of 2024, when Darnold finished as the QB9.
Jun 19, 2025 12:24 PM EST
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said on Tuesday that there's no question that Sam Darnold is "our starting quarterback" when asked if there was any scenario, outside of injury, in which Darnold isn't the starter. "This is a crazy question," Macdonald also said. Most of the speculation about Darnold comes after Seattle took Jalen Milroe in the third round of April's NFL draft. Milroe, a dual-threat QB, is expected to have a package of plays as another offensive weapon for Seattle, but Darnold will be the unquestioned starter under center after a career year in 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings in which he threw for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 17 regular-season games while leading the team to a 14-3 record. It was a great season, but the move to Seattle is a downgrade for Darnold's fantasy value behind a shaky offensive line and with a downgrade in aerial weapons.
Jun 4, 2025 12:03 AM EST
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold will take over 90 percent of the offensive snaps in 2025, according to head coach Mike Macdonald. The Seahawks took former Alabama QB Jalen Milroe in the third round of this year's NFL draft, but not to immediately push Darnold for the starting job. But even if Milroe doesn't overtake Drew Lock for the backup gig, the speedy Milroe should see the field early on in packages designed to take advantage of his elite ground game. There was pre-draft speculation that Milroe could be used in a similar way to Saints utility man Taysom Hill, who Seattle offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak coached last year. Macdonald made it clear that Milroe will only play QB. Darnold earned the right to be Seattle's starter in 2025 after a career year in Minnesota, but it will be difficult to live up to his 2024 numbers with a group of wideouts that aren't nearly as gifted as what Darnold was working with in Minnesota.
Apr 29, 2025 4:07 PM EST
The Seattle Seahawks recently signed free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million deal. According to Mike Florio, the Seahawks are Darnold are able to part ways after the 2025 season, assuming they want to. Darnold will receive $37.5 million, fully guaranteed for the upcoming season. After that, Darnold's salary will move to $27.5 million, but the Seahawks can opt-out after Super Bowl LX. This allows the Seahawks to escape the deal after one season. The organization is hopeful that Darnold can be an upgrade over Geno Smith, who they traded to the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this offseason. The Seahawks have made some major changes this offseason, including cutting Tyler Lockett, trading DK Metcalf, and signing wide receiver Cooper Kupp. We'll see what happens this upcoming season, but it appears the Seahawks can opt out of the deal if this experiment doesn't go well.
Mar 16, 2025 7:14 PM EST
During his introductory press conference on Thursday, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold drew praise from head coach Mike Macdonald. Per Nick Shook of NFL.com, Macdonald was "ecstatic" and gushing with praise over his new QB. "First of all, he's just a tremendous human being, a great leader," said the head coach. "We had a lot of people in our building that have the history with Sam...So, I'm really excited to get our relationship started." The history Macdonald refers to regards new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who has ties with Darnold from their time spent together in San Francisco in 2023. "Obviously, you know, working with Klint...I'm very familiar with the scheme," Darnold told reporters. The 27-year-old's familiarity with the offensive system -- a riff on the one he ran in Minnesota -- is what made him so attractive to the team. Despite a late-season meltdown, the USC product was superb in 2024. However, his new team does not sport the same arsenal of weaponry that he deployed with the Vikings. Wide receiver is a glaring need for Seattle, and they'll need to address that position so that Darnold can reach the heights he did a season ago.
Mar 13, 2025 7:37 PM EST
The Seattle Seahawks have signed quarterback Sam Darnold to a three-year $110.5 million contract. This deal includes $55 million guaranteed. Just days after trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Seahawks will now turn to Darnold to lead their franchise. After never reaching his full potential after being selected with the third overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, Darnold finally found his footing last season in Minnesota. He led the Vikings to an impressive 14-3 record. He threw for 4,319 yards and added 35 passing scores, which were both the fifth-most in the league. Darnold flourished under Kevin O'Connell as he threw at least three passing scores in six contests. Darnold will now join Seattle, which finished just short of a playoff bid as they held a 10-7 record. The Seahawks recently parted ways with wide receiver DK Metcalf, which leaves Jaxon Smith-Njigba as Darnold's lone proven wideout. Darnold should be viewed as a solid QB2 in all formats but could enter the low-end QB1 range if Seattle improves their wide receiver room.
Mar 10, 2025 2:55 PM EST
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports that the Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to make an offer to free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold. Per Russini, many around the league believe that the 27-year-old will wind up landing in Seattle with the Seahawks. However, the Steelers are exhausting every option in search of their next field general. Darnold is coming off his best season as a pro -- setting career highs across the board en route to a 14-3 record with Minnesota. While some may be left with a bad taste in their mouth due to his meltdown at the end of the regular season that continued into the playoffs, the former USC Trojan was mainly stellar in 2024 and finished as a top-ten fantasy quarterback. Whether he can repeat his success outside Minnesota remains to be seen, but he's undoubtedly drawing strong interest around the league.
Mar 9, 2025 6:51 PM EST
The Seattle Times' Bob Condotta writes that Minnesota Vikings impending free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold is now an obvious target for the Seattle Seahawks in free agency this offseason after they traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday. Darnold won't be the only QB that the Seahawks explore, but Condotta also says that they will not consider a reunion with Pittsburgh Steelers impending free-agent QB Russell Wilson. The Seahawks can begin discussing a potential deal with Darnold and his representatives as early as Monday, when the legal tampering period opens. The Vikings had been interested in re-signing Darnold after his career year in 2024, but now he's expected to go elsewhere. Although the former first-rounder looked terrible in the final two games of the year, he threw for 4,319 yards, 35 TDs and 12 interceptions in 17 regular-season games. A repeat of that performance is probably unlikely, especially if he's not back in Minnesota.
Mar 8, 2025 12:08 PM EST
Now that the Seattle Seahawks have opened up a quarterback destination by trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday, quarterback Sam Darnold is not expected to re-sign with the Minnesota Vikings, sources tell NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Minnesota is reportedly now focused on other options they've been pursuing in recent weeks, which include soon-to-be free-agent QB Aaron Rodgers and potentially re-signing Daniel Jones. The Vikings remain committed to last year's first-rounder, J.J. McCarthy (knee), as the future under center in Minnesota, but they want to have an insurance plan in case McCarthy isn't quite ready to take over the starting gig in 2025 after missing all of his rookie season due to a torn meniscus suffered in the preseason. Darnold had a career year in 2024 and could command a deal worth up to around $40 million per year on the open market.
Mar 8, 2025 12:01 PM EST
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the Minnesota Vikings and impending free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold continue to negotiate this week after the Vikings decided not to place the franchise tag on him by the deadline this past Tuesday. Minnesota continues to say that they would like to re-sign Darnold for less than the franchise tag ($40 million), which would make it manageable to build the team around him in 2025. It's a delicate situation, as last year's first-rounder J.J. McCarthy (knee), who the Vikings still have faith in as their future franchise signal-caller, will be back this year after missing all of 2024 due to a season-ending knee injury that he suffered last preseason. Their willingness to bring Darnold back could mean they'd be fine having McCarthy sit and learn as the backup in 2025 before finally taking over in 2026. Either way, Darnold's best path to his highest fantasy ceiling in 2025 will be to stay in Minnesota.
Mar 6, 2025 9:11 PM EST
ESPN's Turron Davenport and Jeremy Fowler write that the Tennessee Titans will have some interest if quarterback Sam Darnold reaches free agency next week, but only at the right price -- in the $30 million per year range, according to a team source. And if the Titans were to sign a veteran QB like Darnold in free agency, they could still draft Miami's Cam Ward or Colorado's Shedeur Sanders in the first round of this year's draft. The Titans were enamored by Ward when they talked to him at the NFL Combine last week, and many believe he'd be their top choice if they don't trade out of the top overall pick. Former second-rounder Will Levis, who struggled in his opportunity as the starter last year, will get an opportunity to compete for the job with whomever they bring in. Adding a QB in free agency would only increase the odds of Tennessee trading out of the top spot for more draft capital this year and in years to come.
Mar 5, 2025 6:20 PM EST
The Minnesota Vikings officially did not place the franchise tag on impending free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold by Tuesday's deadline, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. However, the two sides will continue to work towards a deal that is best for both sides. Although the 27-year-old could return to Minnesota after a career year in 2024, it's probably only likely to happen if his market in free agency isn't as robust as expected. The bottom line is that the Vikings don't want to hold back last year's first-rounder J.J. McCarthy (knee) and would probably prefer to bring Daniel Jones back as an insurance policy at a much cheaper cost. After the Los Angeles Rams restructured QB Matthew Stafford's contract, Darnold is the top available signal-caller, with his most likely landing spots being the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants. For fantasy purposes, obviously staying in Minnesota as the starter would be the most ideal for Darnold.
Mar 4, 2025 5:20 PM EST
League sources think that the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants are the two likeliest landing spots for Minnesota Vikings impending free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold, but the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers could also go after him. Tagging Darnold and trading him for premium draft capital would be the best-case scenario but that's unlikely to happen now that the Vikings aren't expected to use the franchise tag on the 27-year-old. The Athletic's Alec Lewis writes that it only makes sense to re-sign Darnold if his free-agent market is more depressed than expected. It will be more of a luxury since they have plenty of other holes to fill on the roster and don't want to hinder quarterback J.J. McCarthy's (knee) progression after they took him in the first round of last year's draft. Lewis says that the Vikes think the better plan is paying Daniel Jones around $10 million instead of paying Darnold around $35 million.
Mar 4, 2025 12:44 AM EST
The Minnesota Vikings are not expected to place the franchise tag on impending free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold by Tuesday's deadline, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. However, all parties are working through their options to potentially keep him in Minnesota. Rapoport describes Darnold's situation as fluid with free agency right around the corner. Last year's first-rounder, quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) missed all of his rookie season after injuring his knee in the preseason, and then Darnold went on to have a career year, throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 17 regular-season starts. If the Vikings think McCarthy might need another full year of development, it would make sense that they're considering re-signing Darnold for 2025. The 27-year-old won't have a shortage of suitors in free agency, though, with the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders perhaps going after him the hardest.
Mar 3, 2025 10:28 PM EST
The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt writes that Minnesota Vikings impending free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold is not viewed as a realistic target for the New York Jets, both because of his projected price and the unlikelihood that he'd want to return to the team that drafted him. The Jets are expected to target a middle-tier QB and go into training camp with a competition between Tyrod Taylor, a veteran free agent and possibly a rookie. League sources believe Justin Fields will be a prime target, but other teams will be in on him, and the Pittsburgh Steelers may prefer keeping him over Russell Wilson. Rosenblatt also lists Wilson, Carson Wentz and Kirk Cousins (if the Falcons release him) as options for New York this offseason. The Jets sit at No. 7 overall in the upcoming NFL draft, and if they are to trade up to first overall, it would be to select Miami QB Cam Ward. However, that would likely involve moving multiple first-round picks and/or players.
Mar 3, 2025 9:23 PM EST
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler continues to hear that the Minnesota Vikings won't mortgage their future to re-sign impending free-agent quarterback Sam Darnold. Fowler also says that there wasn't much momentum coming out of the NFL Combine this week that the Vikings will use the franchise tag on Darnold, who should have multiple suitors if he reaches the open market. The New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers could all be involved for a QB that won 14 games for the Vikes in 2024 and is the best option at the position on the market by a wide margin. Aside from Darnold, there's a real possibility Minnesota re-signs Daniel Jones (knee) as insurance for J.J. McCarthy (knee) in case last year's first-rounder needs more time. Fowler also points out that the Vikings interviewed Miami's Cam Ward at the Combine. All signs are pointing to Darnold not returning to Minnesota in 2025.
Mar 2, 2025 12:50 PM EST
Copyright 2025 Fantasy Football Calculator | Image Source: Icon Sportswire. Not affiliated with the National Football League (NFL).
Stats powered by FantasyData.com.
