Taste in food aside, Sam Darnold gaining Seahawks’ respect

Jun 11, 2025, 9:25 AM | Updated: 10:20 pm

Seattle Sports

RENTON – When it comes to his taste in food, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold apparently didn’t leave the greatest first impression on former All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp.

“I don’t trust him yet with the food recommendations,” Kupp joked after Tuesday’s minicamp practice.

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As Kupp explained, his new quarterback invited him to dinner one night, but his food suggestions seemed a bit juvenile.

“The way it came off was like he wanted to go get some fries and chicken strips,” Kupp continued with a smile. “And like, look, I have a 6 year old. I can bring you his food. I can bring that and I’ll go eat something good.

“But it ended up being fine. He ventured out and was at least willing to try some stuff. … I may have misread him. We’ll see. Time will tell.”

Darnold appears to have made a much better impression on the football field.

With the Seahawks busy learning new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s scheme, Kupp praised Darnold for helping bring the rest of the offense along.

Darnold entered the process with a head start, having spent the 2023 season with Kubiak in San Francisco, where they ran a similar system under 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. Darnold was the 49ers’ backup quarterback that year, while Kubiak was the team’s passing game coordinator.

“He knows what it takes to make this offense go,” Kupp said of Darnold. “It’s the details. It’s all the precision, the execution. And we’re going to get there… because of the urgency of guys like Sam, who see when it’s not right and can say, hey, this is how it has to be to make this thing go against this look, and how we’re going to be able to attack this defense.

“And I love that. I love when a quarterback is taking that urgency into things and (the) understanding and mastery of these concepts. So it’s real fun to play with someone like that, and (I’m) excited for the guys to be able to come alongside him and learn and make those things come to life.”

‘Guys respect that’

Darnold, a 28-year-old former No. 3 overall draft pick, signed with the Seahawks in March after a breakout 2024 campaign with the Minnesota Vikings that revived his once-disappointing career.

But unlike last season in Minnesota – when he earned the starting job after rookie first-round pick J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury in training camp – Darnold enters 2025 as Seattle’s clear-cut QB1.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said Darnold has handled the transition well.

“Sam is doing a great job,” Macdonald said. “Sam has a great feel for the offense right now in terms of growing every day. You can feel the growth. You can feel the improvement, the confidence that we’re doing on that side of the ball and that we’re growing. And it’s exciting to work with. He’s a heck of a competitor.”

Darnold, a former USC star who grew up in Orange County, exudes a laid-back SoCal vibe.

However, don’t mistake that for a lack of competitiveness.

“The thing you love about Sam is he’s just a dude, man,” Macdonald said. “He’s like one of the guys. There’s a sense of he’s one of the guys, so he’s right there with them in all the things, and that’s him.

“But there’s some (stuff) to him. Like, don’t mess with him. He’s got that edge to him, that competitiveness, and the guys respect that.”

‘We felt it’

Macdonald saw that competitive fire firsthand last December when Darnold led the Vikings to a comeback win over the Seahawks on a rain-soaked afternoon at Lumen Field.

Darnold threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns, including a go-ahead 39-yard score with just under four minutes to play.

“We went against him,” Macdonald said. “We felt it.”

DARNOLD TO JETTAS. VIKINGS RE-TAKE THE LEAD.

📺: #MINvsSEA on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/67RQyrb9vP

— NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2024

According to veteran safety Julian Love, the Seahawks’ defense has felt it too.

In Seattle’s first OTA practice a few weeks ago, Love said the defense was talking smack to the offense.

Darnold responded – in his own, unique way.

“It’s like dad jokes,” Love said with a laugh. “It’s kind of those type of jabs. But you can tell, OK, he has some fire to him. He’s used to being around the guys. … He’s cool with dishing it back a bit.”

Darnold was clearly well-liked by his teammates in Minnesota.

One week after last year’s comeback win over the Seahawks, Darnold threw for a career-high 377 yards to lead the Vikings past the Green Bay Packers for their ninth straight victory. And as Darnold jogged into the locker room after doing a postgame TV interview, he was greeted by teammates drenching him in water and hoisting him into the air amid a raucous celebration.

It’ll take time – along with success and victories – for Darnold to earn that level of respect in Seattle.

But it seems like he’s off to a good start.

“He’s not trying to be anybody else,” Macdonald said, “and you’ve gotta respect that about him.”