A Decade With Sam Darnold For Seahawks? One Hall of Fame QB Thinks So
Years from now, many will look back on the offseason where the Seattle Seahawks moved on from Geno Smith and signed free agent Sam Darnold to a three-year deal as one of the most gutsy and pendulum-swinging moves in NFL history. Seattle already had a solid roster and the right head coach in place. Smith had a few good seasons in Seattle but the Seahawks needed a new level of quarterback play.
Darnold had just finished a stellar 14-3 season with the Vikings, experiencing a career renaissance under head coach Kevin O’Connell. Unfortunately, things ended abruptly with an ugly playoff loss. Many thought that wherever Darnold went, it wouldn’t be as good as he had it in Minnesota with the offensive guru at head coach and all-world receiver Justin Jefferson at the other end of his throws.
Fast forward to this offseason. After just one year in Seattle, Darnold will never have to buy a drink in the Emerald City ever again. He is the toast of the town. He was named to his second straight Pro Bowl but more importantly, he once again went 14-3 as a starter. This time, he busted those ghosts in the playoffs. He was one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the entire postseason, including going blow-for-blow with the league MVP Matthew Stafford in the NFC Championship Game.
WATCH: Defense Dominates Red Zone-Heavy Day 3 of Seahawks Minicamp
Bringing the offseason program to an end and ushering in summer break before training camp, Emerald City Spectrum reporter Corbin Smith breaks down what he saw and heard at the Seahawks' third and final mandatory minicamp practice, including an opportunistic defense racking up interceptions and pick sixes in a high energy session at the VMAC.
Seahawks Minicamp Takeaways: Nick Emmanwori Adding New Wrinkle, Zach Charbonnet Progresses
Launching the final phase of their offseason program, the Seattle Seahawks kicked off mandatory minicamp on Tuesday with the vast majority of players on the field, including the return of veterans Demarcus Lawrence and Leonard Williams.
What stood out of from Day 1 of Seattle’s annual three-day minicamp? Here are five takeaways from Tuesday’s session at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center:
1. Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba steering towards midseason form in the final week of the offseason program.
Crazily enough, Darnold and Smith-Njigba turned in a historic 2025 season combining to link up for over 1,700 yards and 10 touchdowns with limited practice time, as the two had never played together prior to hitting the field for the first time last April. But they developed outstanding chemistry seemingly overnight with the quarterback and receiver lighting it up throughout the offseason program and training camp before leading the charge for a top-five scoring offense on the way to a Super Bowl victory.
On the heels of that immense success, Smith-Njigba had some bad news for opponents on Tuesday, sending a message on the field and at the podium that the two stars expect to be even more in sync in their second season in tandem. After a somewhat quiet trio of OTA practices, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year jumped back into dominant form, starting with a nifty 20-yard catch on a quick out route where he managed to beat the quarter-quarter side of a Cover 6 look outside to make the catch before the outside cornerback could even blink, setting up a Jason Myers field goal in a two-minute drill situation.
Takeaways: Sam Darnold, Rashid Shaheed Connection Blossoming at Seahawks OTAs
Nearing the midway point of Phase 3 of their offseason program as the 2026 season draws closer, the Seattle Seahawks returned to the practice field for the second of three OTA practices open to media on Wednesday.
What stood out at the VMAC? Starting with an encouraging development for Seattle’s passing attack, here are five takeaways from Wednesday’s session:
1. The Sam Darnold to Rashid Shaheed connection appears to have been upgraded in their first full offseason together.
Coming over from the Saints in the latest trade deadline steal orchestrated by John Schneider, Shaheed left his imprint on the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run functioning as special teams dynamite, returning two kickoffs and a punt for touchdowns, including a kick return for six points on the opening play of a Divisional Round blowout of the 49ers. But as a pass catcher, he didn’t have near as much success as fans may have hoped, struggling to emerge as a consistent weapon complementing Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba with just 15 catches for 188 yards and no touchdowns in nine regular season games.
Stock Watch: Examining Seahawks Post-Draft Winners, Losers
Now more than a week removed from the 2026 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks have gotten a first look at their newest draft class via rookie minicamp, and the offseason program will soon kick into full overdrive with Phase 2 opening next week.
At this point, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald and general manager John Schneider haven’t gotten to see first-round pick Jadarian Price and the rest of the 2026 class on the field with returning veterans from their Super Bowl LX-winning squad. But that will soon change as on-field workouts ramp up to the next step and Organized Team Activities (OTAs) eventually open on May 26, providing the rookies with a chance to start gunning for starting jobs and roster spots.
With rookies soon to be thrown into the fire battling against seasoned veterans, which returning players and coaches stood out as the biggest winners coming out of the NFL Draft for the Seahawks? And who needs to keep a focused eye on their rearview mirror with objects being closer than they appear?
Analysis: Ranking Seahawks’ Positional Groups by Long-Term Stability
The Seattle Seahawks are fresh off the ultimate high, hoisting a Super Bowl trophy. But, even championship rosters come with expiration dates. As Seattle turns the page toward the 2026 season and beyond, the question isn’t just how good this team is right now, but how sustainable that success will be.
From looming free agents to aging veterans and thin positional depth, some areas of the roster are far more secure than others. With that in mind, here’s a full ranking of every position group on the Seahawks, ordered by how stable their future truly is.
Three-Year Outlook: Seahawks in Great Shape for Present, Future Offensively
As the calendar flips to April and the 2026 NFL Draft rapidly approaches, the Seattle Seahawks find themselves in the heat of the offseason, continuing to look into ways to improve their roster scanning the free agent market along with wrapping up draft evaluations while also exploring extensions to retain several of their top players.
While building the best roster for the upcoming season remains the top goal with eyes on defending their Super Bowl title, Seahawks general manager John Schneider also has to be cognizant of the future, making every decision in regard to free agency, extensions, and the draft with a multi-year window in mind.
Now less than a month away from the draft, how does Seattle’s offense look for both the present and the future?
Top 12 Moments From Seahawks’ Super Bowl-Winning 2025 Season
The Seattle Seahawks are Super Bowl LX champions! Yes, keep saying that to yourself. Anytime you are feeling down, sad, anxious, or just plain bored, look at that photo of Mike Macdonald and Sam Darnold staring into the reflection of the Lombardi Trophy and feel all your troubles melt away.
As is the nature of the NFL, it rolls on like a fierce locomotive, not caring whether or not you want to pause a moment to smell the roses (or the yellow Gatorade). Free agency is less than a month away. The NFL Combine is even sooner. The NFL Draft is just over two months away.
One last time, let’s look back, instead of forward. These are 12 top moments of the 2025 season, that happened before the Seahawks lifted the Lombardi Trophy in Santa Clara.
‘We Ain’t Going Nowhere’: Seahawks Already Planting Seeds in Quest for Super Bowl Repeat
Less than 72 hours after navy and action green confetti fluttered to the turf at Levis Stadium following a 29-13 demolition of the New England Patriots, while the Seattle Seahawks celebrated their second Super Bowl title with a frenzied fan base both at Lumen Field and during a parade in downtown on Wednesday, they already have their sights set on doing it again next season.
Wearing a t-shirt depicting teammate Sam Darnold smoking a cigar and once again singing effusive, explicit praise about Seattle’s quarterback from the podium with a sparkling Lombardi Trophy in hand, Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones made sure to remind fans and the rest of the league that the team “ain’t going nowhere.”
"Not only do we have the best defense in the world, we've got the best team in the world," Jones said, “And quite frankly, if you've got anything to say about my quarterback, if you've got anything to say about my defense, if you've got anything to say about our O-line, if you've got anything to say about the city of Seattle, I've got two words for you: F--- you.”
Sam Darnold Completes Redemption Arc as Seahawks Secure Super Bowl Title
Sam Darnold, Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
A few years ago, the phrase sounded absurd. Once considered a draft bust in the city where quarterbacks never seem to succeed, Darnold felt blue and green confetti rain down on his red hair on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, where his Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13 to win Super Bowl LX.
Rapid Reaction: Seahawks ‘Darkside’ Defense Handcuffs Patriots in 29-13 Super Bowl LX Victory
Orchestrating one of the most dominant defensive performances in Super Bowl history, the Seattle Seahawks forced eight punts on their first nine defensive series, locking down the New England Patriots in historic fashion to secure a 29-13 victory and bring the second Lombardi Trophy to the Pacific Northwest.
Overcoming an uncharacteristically inaccurate performance from Sam Darnold, the Seahawks found more than enough offense behind AJ Barner’s 16-yard touchdown catch off a turnover, Ken Walker III’s 135 rushing yards, and five field goals from kicker Jason Myers. A suffocating defensive effort by coach Mike Macdonald’s squad bottled up and frazzled Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, with outside linebacker Derick Hall leading the charge sacking him twice and forcing a fumble that defensive tackle Byron Murphy II recovered in New England territory and Uchenna Nwosu returning an interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to start the celebration.
Halftime Observations: Defenses Dominate as Seahawks Lead Patriots 9-0 in Super Bowl LX
With the Lombardi Trophy hanging in the balance, points will apparently be at a premium in Super Bowl LX as the Seattle Seahawks went into halftime nursing a slim 9-0 lead over the New England Patriots behind three Jason Myers field goals and a stingy, suffocating defensive effort.
What stood out from the first two quarters at Levis Stadium?
1. Ken Walker III runs like a Lamborghini on the Levis grass, but the Seahawks can’t get the car into the garage.
Playing in what could be his final game in a Seahawks uniform as free agency approaches next month, a motivated Walker revved up his engine and turned on the accelerators early and often, regularly leaving Patriots defenders in his wake after smooth, explosive cuts and filthy jump cut moves. On the first play from scrimmage, he bounced an inside zone run out wide to the perimeter, out-running multiple defenders towards the sideline before cutting upfield for a 10-yard gain to move the chains, helping start off a successful opening series that ended with Myers’ first field goal from 33 yards out.
12 Reasons Seahawks Will Win Super Bowl LX
Some might say this is like Christmas Eve. It’s better. Why? Christmas is reliable. It comes every year, rain, snow, or shine.
Your favorite team in the Super Bowl? Absolutely not.
The season in which the Seattle Seahawks celebrated their 50th campaign as a franchise, they are competing for their second Lombardi Trophy.
So here we are. Like Pippin in the Lord of the Rings, finding it worse to sit on the edge of a battle one could not escape. Thanos said, “Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same.”
Destiny knocks on the Seahawks’ door tomorrow. Will they open the door, and let it in?
Analysis: 7 Burning Questions to Determine if Seahawks Will Win or Lose Super Bowl LX
After nearly two weeks of relentless coverage and chatter that has left fans on both sides experiencing a bad case of cabin fever, the Seattle Seahawks will finally hit the field with a chance to avenge a previous Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots as the two teams meet at Levis Stadium in Sunday’s big game.
With both teams boasting top-three scoring offenses and physical, well-coached defenses, Sunday has all of the ingredients for a back-and-forth brawl on the biggest stage in professional sports. To earn their second Lombardi, the Seahawks will have to hope for the right answers to seven burning questions.
Sam Darnold, Seahawks Aiming to Stay Step Ahead of Patriots’ Evolving Defense in Super Bowl LX
Playing the quarterback position in the NFL has long been viewed as the most difficult job in professional sports, a fact that only has been magnified in recent years by the increasing complexity of defensive schemes around the league.
For decades, signal callers leaned heavily on half field reads post-snap to identify and attack coverages, providing a simplified approach that worked quite effectively against static defenses. However, in the modern NFL, while that approach has not been completely discarded and still has a time and place, the proliferation of well-disguised coverages has put a lot more on quarterback’s plates, making it far trickier to gauge whether an opposing defense is in man coverage, split-zone coverage with the middle of field open, or closed-zone coverage with the middle of the field occupied.
Early on his career, like all young quarterbacks who have to adapt and learn how to successfully attack complicated NFL defenses built around the art of - or at least the guise of - deception, Sam Darnold endured plenty of growing pains coming out of USC as a highly-touted top-five draft choice.
Five Distinct Advantages the Seahawks Have in Super Bowl LX
The Seahawks have one more game remaining, the much-awaited rematch against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. Nothing is certain until the downs are played, but what are the Hawks’ key advantages going into the Big Game?
Past Failures of ‘Battle-Tested’ Veterans Drives Seahawks to Historic Super Bowl Run
One of the youngest teams in the NFL, strong drafting has catapulted the Seahawks back into the Super Bowl. But if Mike Macdonald’s squad wins the Lombardi Trophy, it will be the adversity-tested veterans who have lived on the other side of the coin who lead them to the promised land.
Closing Thoughts: Sam Darnold’s Historic Performance Lifts Seahawks to Super Bowl LX
Leading the charge with a near-perfect effort under center, Sam Darnold willed the Seahawks to their fourth Super Bowl in franchise history by outdueling Matthew Stafford in front of a boisterous Lumen Field crowd.
‘Everything I Said, Stood On It’: Ernest Jones Sets Leadership Standard for Super Bowl-Bound Seahawks
Back in Week 11, Ernest Jones wasn’t shy coming to defense of his quarterback after a tough loss to the Rams. Fast forward to an NFC title-clinching victory at Lumen Field against the same foe, those words resonated in the locker room and set a clear leadership standard.
Sam Darnold’s ‘High-Powered Quarterbacking’ Silences Doubters, Vaults Seahawks Into Super Bowl
He can’t make the clutch throws. He can’t avoid turnovers. He can’t help seeing ghosts. Now an NFC Champion quarterback, narratives that followed Sam Darnold from dreary days in New York have finally been exterminated leading the Seahawks to the Super Bowl.
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