Sam Darnold

Seattle Seahawks
Quarterback #14
Seattle Seahawks
Quarterback #14

Sam Darnold News RotoBaller

Sam Darnold Plays Clean Football as Seahawks Win on TNF

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold completed 18 of his 26 pass attempts for 242 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions during Thursday's Week 4 win over the Arizona Cardinals. He also took three sacks and rushed for 24 yards. The veteran's clean, turnover-free football helped keep his team in the lead for most of the game and was enough to seal the victory over a divisional opponent on primetime television. The 28-year-old has strung together three decent weeks, totaling five touchdowns and two turnovers during that span. He ranks as a mid-range QB2 heading into Week 5 against Tampa Bay.

Sep 26, 2025 12:18 AM EST


Sam Darnold a Worthy Streamer in Week 4

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is a solid streaming option in Week 4 when the team visits the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona's defense has been solid this season, but they are not a scary opponent. Darnold is starting to look like the player we saw in Minnesota in 2024 as he continues to become more comfortable in this new offense. He is poised in the pocket, and the game appears to be slowing down for him. Darnold is also getting a lot of help from a group of weapons that has certainly outperformed expectations thus far this season. The Cardinals have not allowed opposing quarterbacks to light up the fantasy scoreboard, but they have not played anyone at the same caliber as Darnold. Anyone with quarterback injuries should be looking to see if Darnold is on the waiver wire. He is unlikely to be a season-long option, but he should be a solid start in Week 4. His efficiency has remained solid, and his turnovers have been low.

Sep 24, 2025 9:08 PM EST



Sam Darnold a Viable Streaming Option Moving Forward?

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has turned in two straight solid fantasy performances. Darnold threw for an efficient 218 yards and two touchdowns in Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints. The Seahawks did not need Darnold to do much in a game in which running back Kenneth Walker III rushed for two touchdowns and the defense dominated. However, the performance was still enough for Darnold to deliver 16.7 fantasy points in four-point passing touchdown formats. Now that Darnold looks fully comfortable in Seattle's offense, he has a chance to deliver great fantasy performances in the right matchups. The Seahawks are looking like a team that may be able to put up points in a hurry this year. Darnold already proved that he could be a solid fantasy quarterback in 2024. If you are battling quarterback injuries or poor play, keep Darnold on your radar moving forward.

Sep 22, 2025 6:15 PM EST


Sam Darnold Could be on Streaming Radar in Week 3

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is a potential streamer in Week 3 when Seattle hosts the New Orleans Saints. He is coming off a 17.8-point fantasy outing in Week 2. Darnold struggled in Week 1, but he shook off the jitters in Week 2 and threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns. As he continues to grow more comfortable in Seattle's offense, Darnold should be a solid matchup play. The Saints have allowed Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones to have QB1-level games in the first two weeks of the season. That type of production can be expected of Darnold against a Saints defense that has been solid but not spectacular thus far this season. Many forget that Darnold was a legitimate QB1 in 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings. He is stepping into an offense with a lot of new pieces and a new offensive coordinator. It is only a matter of time before the production begins to flow.

Sep 20, 2025 12:15 AM EST


Sam Darnold Ready to Jump Into Streamer Category

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold looks like a potential streamer candidate moving forward. Darnold endured a tough first half in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he rallied to throw for 295 yards and two touchdowns. Darnold finished the week with 17.8 fantasy points, which is enough to hold down the quarterback spot on your roster for a week. Most importantly, Darnold looked comfortable in his new offense. He was spreading the wealth around as well. Five Seahawks earned multiple targets in this game. Darnold's chemistry with wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp was also apparent. He was efficient throwing to both players, and they combined for 193 receiving yards. If Darnold keeps up this level of play and cuts down on the interceptions, he is going to be a player worth rostering in fantasy. Darnold will face New Orleans, Arizona, and Tampa Bay over the next three weeks. He should be on the streaming radar in each of those games.

Sep 15, 2025 3:29 PM EST



Sam Darnold Should Remain on Waivers in Week 2

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold will look to bounce back in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In his first start as a Seahawk. Darnold posted just 150 passing yards on 16 completions. 124 of those yards went to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Seahawks' offense lacks rhythm and cohesiveness, although that is to be expected with a new scheme and so many new pieces. Week 2 presents a new opportunity, but it may not bring fantasy fun. The Steelers' defense should improve upon its poor outing in Week 1 against the Jets. On the flip side, the Seahawks' offense can also go nowhere but up. Either way, Darnold should not be rostered right now. While he has a great chance to play well for Seattle this year, his 2024 fantasy breakout was fueled by his 35 touchdown passes. That seems like an unlikely feat for Darnold to achieve in this scheme. Unless the Seahawks' pass rate grows substantially, Darnold should not be on the fantasy radar.

Sep 12, 2025 12:01 PM EST


Sam Darnold is not a Starter in Week 1

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is not worth starting in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers project to have a solid defense with coordinator Robert Saleh back in the fold, and it remains to be seen if Darnold's breakout season in 2024 was a mirage. However, Darnold's level of play is worth monitoring in Week 1. He is joining an offense coordinated by Klint Kubiak with ties back to Darnold's year in San Francisco as a backup quarterback. The offense is going to play to Darnold's strengths, and he could very well succeed at a high level this season. Darnold is coming off a season in which he was the QB9 in Minnesota. While we certainly do not expect that of Darnold without wide receiver Justin Jefferson in 2025, he could still be an excellent streamer or QB2. Watch Darnold closely in Week 1. Even solid success against the 49ers' defense would suggest that we are in for another season of fantasy fun with the eight-year veteran.

Sep 5, 2025 2:19 PM EST


Sam Darnold Impressed with "Discipline" in Training Camp

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


Sam Darnold Looks Sharp in First Preseason Action

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


Sam Darnold to Get Some Playing Time in Second Preseason Game

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


Sam Darnold Named Unquestioned Starter in Seattle

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


Sam Darnold Knows he Must Prove Himself Again

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


Seahawks Reiterate That Sam Darnold is the Starting QB

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


Sam Darnold To Take Over 90% Of The Snaps

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


Sam Darnold Could Opt-Out After One Season

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


Mike Macdonald, Seahawks Excited About Sam Darnold

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


Seahawks Sign Sam Darnold To Three-Year Contract

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


Steelers Looking Into Sam Darnold

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


Sam Darnold Now An Obvious Target For Seattle

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


Sam Darnold Not Expected To Re-Sign With Vikings

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