Report: Sam Darnold agrees to deal with Seattle Seahawks

After blowing away expectations and rejuvenating his career with the Vikings in 2024, Sam Darnold has a new home. He’s signing with the Seattle Seahawks, ending his time in Minnesota and starting a new chapter of his NFL journey.

“ESPN sources: Former Vikings QB Sam Darnold reached agreement today on a three-year, $110.5 million contract including $55 million guaranteed with the Seattle Seahakws,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday. “Seattle has its successor to Geno Smith.”

There wasn’t room for a long-term deal for Darnold with the Vikings, as the team is planning to turn the team over the J.J. McCarthy after drafting him last season. However, the Seahawks created a void when they traded quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, and Darnold will move to the Pacific Northwest.

Contract extension talks took place between Smith and the Seahawks before the decision, but nothing came to fruition in Seattle. That led to the decision to move on, sending him to Las Vegas in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, reuniting him with former coach Pete Carroll in Sin City.

As for Minnesota, the writing was on the wall for Darnold once the Vikings decided not to franchise tag the quarterback. The franchise would have had no choice but to pay the 27-year-old QB around $55 million, and that ended up being too steep a number for the team to consider, with McCarthy waiting in the wings.

During the 2024 season, Darnold threw for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on 66.2% passing. He led the Vikings to a 14-3 regular season record before Minnesota lost in the NFC Wild Card round. His numbers are gaudy, but some less-than-stellar play during their final weeks of the season certainly seems to have contributed to the Vikings looking elsewhere for a bridge quarterback in 2025.

Still, that didn’t scare off the Seahawks. They believe in the former USC Trojans star’s future, as he’ll only be 28-years old when the season begins. Seattle general manager John Schneider has hit on veteran quarterbacks in the past, Smith the prime example — they’re hoping Darnold ends up even more successful in the NFC North.

He’ll certainly be compared to his replacement in Minnesota moving forward, as well. The last time fans were able to see McCarthy on the field in a real game was when he was leading Michigan to a College Football Playoff National Championship victory over Washington. He was one of the winningest quarterbacks in college during his time in Ann Arbor, but wouldn’t get to showcase his abilities for very long before going down with a tear in his meniscus in his right knee during the team’s first preseason game. 

Regardless, Sam Darnold turned his opportunity in Minnesota into gold, and both sides will hope to have sustained success in their new ventures. We’ll see what he can do in Seattle, but the Seahawks are a fascinating team to keep an eye on in 2025 and beyond.