Sam Darnold is better than people expected after the first six seasons of his career. By that point, the third overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft had gone from bad starter to seemingly long-term backup. He might not have ever been able to turn his career around except for an injury to the Minnesota Vikings' J.J. McCarthy.
That was just before the beginning of last season, after the Vikings had signed Darnold in free agency and after McCarthy suffered a knee injury. Darnold was named QB1, led Minnesota to a 14-3 record, and a playoff spot. The knock on him throughout his career did not fully go away, though.
Many people assumed, based on the quarterback's history, that Darnold could not win big games. Worse, he was awful in the more meaningful games. Darnold was terrible in the Vikings' final two games of last year, too.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold needs to stop turning the ball over
But what partly led to Sam Darnold's inefficiencies at the most important moments were poor decisions that led to turnovers and sacks. He held on to the ball too long, or he didn't, but threw into coverage he shouldn't. While he has been good overall in 2025, his tendency to be bad at times has lingered, and the statistics bear that out.
The Seahawks quarterback leads the NFL in turnovers with 18. He is third in interceptions with 13, just one behind Seattle's starting QB for the previous three years, Geno Smith. His interception percentage is 3.1, which is the third-highest of his career, and his highest since 2021. That percentage is also fourth-worst in the NFL this season.
In the last six games, the Seahawks have won at times in spite of Darnold. In that span, he has thrown seven touchdown passes and seven interceptions (plus losing a fumble), and in three of those games, he hasn't tossed a TD pass.
Winning covers up all manner of sins, of course. Seattle and Darnold continue to win games. Most importantly, head coach Mike Macdonald's team continues to be victorious because of a total team effort.
But late in the season, when games truly matter, a team's quarterback cannot have as many turnovers as touchdowns. If the Seattle Seahawks are going to win a Super Bowl, Darnold has to be more efficient. He can make great throws, of course, but the few plays he is off during games cannot last. Otherwise, the Seahawks will make the playoffs and be an early out because of their QB's turnovers.