Sam Darnold’s Revival in Seattle: Why the Seahawks Might Have Found Their Quarterback of the Future

The Seattle Seahawks didn’t walk away with a win in Week 5 – and yes, quarterback Sam Darnold was once again at the center of a game-sealing turnover – but to reduce his 2025 performance to two plays would be to miss the bigger picture. Because outside those late-game miscues, Darnold has turned in the kind of season that few expected – maybe not even Seattle itself – when it scooped him up in free agency this past offseason.

Let’s go back five weeks. Darnold lost a fumble on the final drive of a narrow Week 1 defeat.

Then in Week 5, with Seattle knocking on the door late again, he threw an interception that sealed a 38-35 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On the surface, that’s two critical errors in two games the Seahawks might’ve won with better decision-making under center.

Fair criticism – but also not the full story.

What Darnold has done between those moments is what’s turning heads across the NFL landscape.

Efficiency, Accuracy, and Command

The raw numbers tell a compelling tale. Darnold is completing 73.1% of his passes – that’s third-best in the league.

His quarterback rating stands at 114.8 – also third. And when it comes to how far he’s pushing the ball downfield and the efficiency with which he’s doing it?

He’s leading the league in yards per attempt, net yards per attempt, and adjusted yards per attempt. That’s not just effective – it’s elite-level quarterbacking in today’s NFL.

It’s not just box score brilliance, either. The eye test backs it up.

Darnold has been poised in the pocket, calm against pressure, and in rhythm with his receivers. Five consecutive scoring drives against the Buccaneers doesn’t happen by accident.

He’s processing quickly, making sound reads, and keeping this offense humming in high-leverage situations.

Sherman’s Seal of Approval

When former Seahawks star Richard Sherman is calling you out – and not in the critical sense – you take notice. Sherman, never shy on expressing exactly what he thinks, chimed in during the Week 5 showdown, posting on social media:

“Sam Darnold is ELEVATING himself into that Elite QB conversation with this Masterful performance.”

Caps emphasis aside, Sherman’s point is valid – and perhaps overdue. Darnold’s 2025 campaign hasn’t just been a pleasant surprise. It’s been a revelation for a team that might have otherwise been stuck in neutral at the game’s most important position.

The Geno Comparison That’s Hard to Ignore

Much like the NFL itself, quarterback rooms are built on “what have you done for me lately?” And that’s where the contrast between Darnold and Geno Smith becomes especially stark.

Had Seattle not moved on this offseason, they might still be rolling with Smith – a quarterback currently leading the league in interceptions (both this year and dating back to early 2024), and sitting near the bottom of the QB rating charts at 75.6 (29th overall). That version of Smith isn’t keeping the Seahawks in track meets.

He’s not turning 3rd-and-longs into scoring drives. If he’s under center against Tampa Bay, let’s be real – that final score probably isn’t anywhere close.

Darnold, meanwhile, has been keeping games close. He’s been the difference between a blowout and a shootout, even in defeat.

Is He Making the Most of His Moment?

And this is exactly what the Seahawks were hoping for when they gave Darnold a three-year, $100.5 million deal – with an early out after one season. He wasn’t brought in to play it safe. He was brought in to compete, to elevate the ceiling of the offense, and just maybe – to finally hit the kind of stride that once made him the No. 3 overall pick in the draft.

That’s not to say those turnovers don’t matter. They do.

Darnold will need to clean up the execution in crunch time. Game-ending mistakes are the kind of moments that stick with fans – and more importantly, coaching staffs.

But when viewed through the full scope of what he’s doing this season, it’s hard to argue he’s not earning every bit of the investment Seattle made.

He’s giving the Seahawks not just a fighting chance, but a glimpse of something more tantalizing: a quarterback who’s potentially capable of turning this team into a real contender week in and week out.

A Potential Franchise QB?

It’s far too early to start carving busts in Canton. But this is what growth looks like in the NFL.

A quarterback starts stringing together high-efficiency performances. The offensive rhythm gets more consistent.

Teammates start believing. The defense knows every drive has a chance.

A fan base starts seeing flashes of a future they can rally behind.

Whether or not Darnold can sustain this pace over a 17-game grind remains to be seen. But right now, in the early chapters of this 2025 season, Sam Darnold looks like a different player – and for the Seahawks, possibly the right quarterback at long last.

After years of searching for a successor in the post-Russell Wilson era, Seattle might not have stumbled on its franchise guy by accident – it just might have found him by taking a calculated risk.

And so far? That risk is paying dividends.