The Seattle Seahawks made one of the biggest moves of the offseason as they moved on from Geno Smith, replacing him with Sam Darnold -- who they gave a three-year, $100.5 million contract with $55 million in guarantees. The move has paid off through the first four games of the season as the 2024 Pro Bowler has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
After dropping his Seahawks debut in heartbreaking fashion, Darnold has led the team to three consecutive victories -- including two blowouts and a road win in a divisional matchup on Thursday Night Football. Although many questioned Seattle's abrupt decision to change quarterbacks, it is clear that the front office made the right move.
While the team still has plenty to prove, they have been elite on both sides of the ball -- ranking fifth in scoring offense and fourth in scoring defense. Darnold recently received praise as a sports media personality labeled him as elite.
Sam Darnold hailed as an elite quarterback following Seahawks 3-1 start
Darnold has wasted no time fitting in with the Seahawks as his 91.1 PFF grade leads all quarterbacks in the early stages of the season. The Herd's Colin Cowherd labeled the eighth-year quarterback as elite following his strong performance on Thursday Night Football:
"Oh yeah, he's elite. Last two years, he's tied for the most wins in the league by a quarterback. He's tied for the most game-winning drives with Patrick Mahomes. And he leads the NFL in big plays. And this is the second-youngest offensive roster so he's doing it with kids. Rookie tight end, (Jaxon Smith-Njigba), the rookie from Colorado State, (Kenneth) Walker is still young. He's doing it with kids. So, people say, 'At the end of last season, he got blown out'. I've seen Mahomes get blown out in two Super Bowls. I love Lamar Jackson, I've seen him freeze in the headlights multiple games in the playoffs."
"Yeah, he’s elite. Last two years he's tied for most wins in the league by a quarterback. He's tied for the most game-winning drives with Patrick Mahomes."@colincowherd thinks Seahawks QB Sam Darnold is overdue for some appreciation pic.twitter.com/uSw7hBI6XJ
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) September 26, 2025
It is hard to argue that Darnold has played at an elite level since, once again, becoming a full-time starter in 2024. He threw for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 66.2% of his passes last season.
While many believed his production was due to having plenty of offensive talent around him with the Minnesota Vikings, he has proven that it was no fluke through four games in 2025. Darnold has thrown for 905 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 70.0% of his passes.
If he continues to play at this level, there is no reason the Seahawks shouldn't make their first postseason appearance since 2022.