The media and journalism coverage of Sam Darnold will likely never die down for two reasons. First, his story is one of the greatest NFL stories in league history, and it's also a feel-good story. Two, as long as the Seattle Seahawks are as great as they are and Darnold is their quarterback, he'll remain in the spotlight.Â
It's not often a quarterback outside of the top 10 or 15 gets as much attention as Darnold does these days. What he's done over the course of the last two seasons has helped him, though, and in that light, he should be talked about, and perhaps even more. Speaking of quarterback top-10 or -15 rankings, where Darnold sits on that list is one of many Darnold-related topics these days.
Three years ago, Darnold wasn't even a starter, and now, the debate over whether he's a top quarterback is real. Wherever you rank Darnold in your own rankings, it's fair to say that he should be considered for entry into a space he's currently not in today: the top 10. The question is: Can Darnold break through the top 10 quarterbacks list by the end of next season?
How Seattle Seahawks' Sam Darnold can become a top-10 NFL QB next season
Let's first get one thing out of the way: Darnold breaking into the top 10 quarterback rankings next season is more likely to mean him breaking into spots 6-10, and no higher.
Unfortunately, there is very little that Darnold can do to jump over Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, or Matthew Stafford—all of whom are widely considered the top five quarterbacks in the league right now.Â
It is much more realistic that Darnold jumps over the likes of Drake Maye, Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert, Caleb Williams, Jared Goff, Jayden Daniels, or others, depending on the small differences between quarterback rankings according to ESPN, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, or other major networks, and where they have those players sitting.Â
Darnold is currently ranked between 10 and 20 according to most rankings lists. According to NFL Daily's Gregg Rosenthal, Darnold is 13th, for example, and Rosenthal is a trusted and respected NFL journalist and analyst. For as much as Darnold has accomplished over the last two years, and especially last year, he's deserved to be in the top 15 at the very least. Can he move up, though?
Yes, he can. One piece of evidence for Darnold's chances is his incredible rise from the bottom up. In his first six years, Darnold posted 21 wins with 63 touchdowns. Of course, Darnold barely played for one season as a backup with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023 and was on and off the field with the Carolina Panthers in the two seasons prior.Â
Still, 21 wins and 63 touchdowns were under him, which is unbecoming of a first-round, third-overall draft pick. The swing changed dramatically, though, and over the past two seasons, Darnold posted 28 wins and 30 touchdowns.
On top of that, with no playoff experience in his first six years, Darnold has three playoff wins in the last two, including a Super Bowl (and one playoff appearance in 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings).
That is what you call a complete career turnaround. So, what about that top-10 ranking? Simply put, Darnold cannot fall off. If he can continue this rise, there should be no surprise if Darnold is ranked the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, or 10th best quarterback in the NFL this time next offseason.
The Seahawks have to have another great season to up Darnold's chances, yes, but their success will come on the heels of his play as well.
Darnold doesn't belong in the top-10 just yet, but he's more than capable of reaching that level. The Seahawks might just be seeing the beginning of Darnold's heights. The likes of Allen, Mahomes, Jackson, Stafford, and Burrows don't need to watch their backs.
As for the others? Maybe they should peer over their shoulder from time to time, just to see how quickly Darnold is coming to join their echelon.
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