When the Seattle Seahawks take on the Minnesota Vikings, quarterback Sam Darnold will have a chance at revenge against his former team. That is, if Darnold even sees the game that way. Perhaps Seattle's QB1 understands the NFL is a business, and the Vikings made a business decision this past offseason.
Darnold was Minnesota's starting quarterback in 2024, and he was good. Until the last two games of the season, Darnold was consistently playing some of the best football of his life. He looked like a long-term starter, but the Vikings never saw him that way. If not for an injury to rookie J.J. McCarthy, Darnold might not have ever played.
Instead, the quarterback had a career year with 35 touchdown passes, a few MVP votes, and made the Pro Bowl. While Minnesota passed on trying to bring him back, the Seahawks were happy to sign their new QB1 to a three-year deal worth a maximum of $100.5 million.
Justin Jefferson has high praise for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold
The move has paid off. While Darnold needs to correct his trend of having far too many second half turnovers, he has still led Seattle to an 8-3 record, and his 106.2 quarterback rating is fourth-best in the league. His former teammate with the Vikings, wide receiver Justin Jefferson, has noticed the QB's success.
Speaking with reporters ahead of Seattle and Minnesota's Week 13 matchup, Jefferson said, "(Darnold's) definitely balling. It's hard to miss it when the number one receiver (in terms of receiving yards) in the NFL (plays for Seattle). He's been killin' it. Of course, you know, some people will talk about the bad games that he's had, but all in all, he's leading his team to victories, so that's the main thing."
The receiver Jefferson is referring to is, of course, Jaxon Smith-Njigba. JSN leads the league in receiving yards by almost 200 yards (Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens gained on Smith-Njigba on Thursday Night Football in Week 13), and is third in catches, but one might wonder if a big reason for his ascension is how good Sam Darnold has been.
Jefferson hasn't had nearly the same level of success this season playing without Darnold, and likely won't be great in Week 13, either. While Jaxon Smith-Njigba will have Sam Darnold throwing him passes, Jefferson will have undrafted rookie free agent Max Brosmer likely trying to throw him passes.
J.J. McCarthy is dealing with concussion symptoms and will probably miss Week 13. That might give the Seattle Seahawks an even bigger advantage against the Vikings, but as long as Seattle has Sam Darnold, the team always has a good chance of winning.