Reports: Seahawks agree to terms with QB Sam Darnold

The Seattle Seahawks appear to have found their replacement for Geno Smith, at least for the short-term.

Just hours into the beginning of the NFL’s free agent negotiating period on Monday morning, the Seahawks and 27-year-old quarterback Sam Darnold agreed to terms on a three-year deal worth $100.5 million, according to multiple reports.

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The contract includes $55 million of guaranteed money and $37.5 million in the first year, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The deal won’t become official until the new league year begins on Wednesday.

Darnold’s $33.5 million annual average would currently rank 18th among NFL quarterbacks, according to OverTheCap.

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It’s the latest development in what’s been a whirlwind, franchise-altering past 72 hours for the Seahawks. On Friday, they traded Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a third-round draft pick. And on Sunday, they dealt star wide receiver DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a second-round pick and a late-round pick swap.

Darnold, a former No. 3 overall pick, is coming off a breakout Pro Bowl season with the Minnesota Vikings that resurrected his once-disappointing NFL career.

After signing in Minnesota last year, Darnold was originally intended to serve as a bridge to rookie No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy. But after McCarthy suffered a torn meniscus in the preseason, Darnold took the reigns and helped lead the Vikings to a 14-3 record while completing 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He finished fifth in the league in passing yards, fifth in TD passes and 14th in QBR. He also led five game-winning drives, which was tied for second-most in the league.

One of those game-winning drives came against the Seahawks in Week 16. Darnold threw for 246 yards and three TDs against Seattle, including a go-ahead 39-yard TD pass to Justin Jefferson with 3:51 remaining that gave the Vikings a 27-24 win.

DARNOLD TO JETTAS. VIKINGS RE-TAKE THE LEAD.

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

— NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2024

However, some of the luster of Darnold’s breakthrough was dulled by a rough final two games. In a blowout Week 18 loss to the Detroit Lions, he went just 18-of-41 passing for 166 yards. And the following week, in a blowout wild-card playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams, he went 25 of 40 for 245 yards with one TD, an interception and a costly lost fumble that was returned for a TD.

In Seattle, Darnold will be reunited with new Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. The two worked together on the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, when Darnold was the backup to Brock Purdy and Kubiak was the team’s passing game coordinator.

There are similarities in scheme between what Darnold ran with the Vikings last year and what he’ll run with the Seahawks. Kubiak and Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell are both products of the Shanahan coaching tree and run variations of the Shanahan scheme, which places an emphasis on outside-zone run blocking and play-action passing.

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Last year in Minnesota, Darnold racked up 1,474 yards on play-action passes, according to Pro Football Reference. That was second-most in the league, trailing only Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff.

After two standout college seasons at USC, Darnold was drafted by the New York Jets in 2018 and immediately took over as their starting QB. He went 13-25 over his three seasons as the Jets’ starter, struggling to a 59.8% completion rate with 45 TD passes and 39 interceptions in 38 games.

Darnold was then traded to the Carolina Panthers, where he continued to struggle. He went 8-9 as the Panthers’ starter in 2021 and 2022, while posting a 59.5% completion rate with 16 TD passes and 16 interceptions in 18 games.

Darnold then spent 2023 with Kubiak in San Francisco before his 2024 breakthrough in Minnesota.

More Seattle Seahawks news and analysis

• Seahawks 2025 Offseason Tracker: Free agents, trades and more
• Reports: Seattle Seahawks trade star WR DK Metcalf to Steelers
• Report: Seattle Seahawks re-signing linebacker Ernest Jones IV
• Seattle Seahawks re-sign DT Jarran Reed to 3-year deal
• Brock Huard: Why Seattle Seahawks swung ‘stunning’ Geno Smith trade

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