If nothing else, the Seattle Seahawks’ 2025 season should convince fans to take offseason grades with a grain of salt. That includes grades for draft picks, free agent signings and general expectations for teams coming out of the offseason.
These Seahawks are out-performing the grades they got from the national media across the board. Their draft class looks sensational, they have already matched their projected win total in many cases, and they made the single best free agent signing of any team this year.
That would be the three-year, $100 million deal they gave Sam Darnold coming off his breakout season with the Minnesota Vikings. At the time it was supposed to be an overpay and a panic move after trading Geno Smith. Halfway through the season it looks like a grand bargain.
At least those national analysts with enough sense to admit when they’re wrong are doing so. ESPN’s Ben Solak says the Seahawks were his biggest miss. Now The Athletic is doing a total 180-degree turn on the grade they initially gave Seattle for the Darnold signing.
When the signing was announced they gave the Seahawks a C. Now it’s an A+, per Daniel Popper.
“The Seahawks are 7-2. They have won four straight games and emerged as a true Super Bowl contender. Darnold is a big reason why. He is proving this season that his breakout with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 was not a fluke… Darnold looks decisive and confident to all three levels of the field. Darnold ranks 18th among quarterbacks in AAV. He is playing like a top-10 quarterback.”
Oct 20, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) warms up prior to the game against the Houston Texans at Lumen Field. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Referring to Darnold as a mere top-10 quarterback at this point is probably worth calling an insult, but we’ll take what little praise we can get from the at times hilariously biased east coast sports media.
Darnold is at worst performing at a top-five level, having elevated himself into the conversation with regular MVP candidates like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. Matt Stafford is having yet another throwback season and has to be in that discussion, as well – but it would be a mistake to leave Darnold out no matter who you think should win the award.
It is fair to point out that much of Darnold’s success has been due to an all-time great season from Jaxon Smith-Njigba at wide receiver, but it’s not like Darnold hasn’t been accurate and brilliant targeting anyone else.
If there’s a legitimate question about Darnold’s sustainability it likely has to do with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who has a very good chance to be a hot head coach candidate when this season is over. If and when he leaves Darnold might not be able to keep this up – but that’s also the same charge many levied against him after leaving Kevin O’Connell.
The success that Darnold had in Minnesota last year didn’t come out of nowhere, either. He made progress during his time in Carolina, as well – it was just difficult to recognize in the middle of all of Matt Rhule’s dysfunction.
The truth is Darnold has been steadily raising his game every year for the last five seasons – and changing his playcaller every offseason has done nothing to stop it. Darnold is going to be just fine, Kubiak or no Kubiak.
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