The Seattle Seahawks are certainly going to look different in 2025. The defense might remain intact, but the offense might seem as if you went to sleep for several years and woke up to see most players you knew were gone. Don't worry, you didn't have a nightmare.
Or maybe you did, only you weren't truly sleeping. According to FS1's First Things First co-host Nick Wright, Seattle is going to regret what they have done this offseason at the most important position on the field.
Wright was asked by his co-host, Kevin Wildes, in a recent episode about the Seahawks' quarterback position, specifically trading away three-year starter Geno Smith and replacing him with Sam Darnold. Smith was a top-15 quarterback for much of his three seasons as QB1 for Seattle.
One talking head says the Seahawks are doomed by replacing Geno Smith with Sam Darnold
Darnold, meanwhile, was very good in 2024, but not very good in his six seasons before last year.
Wright made very plain his opinion that the Seahawks are worse with Darnold than Smith, saying, "Yeah, I don't get this. I don't understand moving on from Geno (Smith) for a worse quarterback that's just as expensive. I don't get it."
First of all, Darnold isn't just as expensive as Smith; he is less so. Seattle's new QB1 signed a three-year deal worth a maximum of $100.5 million, but there is no guaranteed money in years two and three. Should he not work out, the Seahawks could let him go after one season and for a total of $37.5 million.
Smith was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders while he was entering the final year of his current deal. The QB then signed an extension with the Raiders for two years and a max of $75 million. The key is that $66 million of that is guaranteed.
His contract is far more expensive than Darnold's, and if Darnold does reach his $100.5 million max, it is because he earned the money and did good things for the Seahawks. That is Seahawks general manager John Schneider doing business the intelligent way.
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Secondly, Smith appears to be getting much more love now than he did when he was with the Seahawks for some reason. Many viewed him as a long-time backup who got lucky when Seattle traded Russell Wilson after the 2021 season and inserted Smith as QB1. Smith was solid for three years, though many pundits still were seemingly not sold on him until he went to the Raiders.
But Smith and Darnold have the same bad issue, and whoever fixes it best in 2025 will probably lead their teams to a more successful season. Smith and Darnold throw too many interceptions, and toss them at the worst times.
Smith led the NFL in red zone interceptions in 2024, for example. If Darnold can keep away from that this coming season, Seattle should be sniffing the playoffs. If not, he might be replaced by backup Drew Lock midway through the season.
Let's just hope Nick Wright is wrong that the Seahawks are dooming themselves by replacing Smith with Darnold. Maybe the matter comes down to Seattle being disrespected once again. At this point, the team and 12s are used to it and usually shrug it off.