For years, fans and analysts considered current Seattle Seahawks QB1 Sam Darnold a bust. He was a superstar prospect coming out of college, a top-three pick, and he failed to live up to the expectations from the second he set foot on an NFL gridiron.
However, he may just have been another victim of his environment. Like so many former New York Jets, he had to leave Gotham to find his best version. And even though it took him a while, he ultimately figured things out.
Even so, Darnold was often tabbed as this team's Achilles heel last season, sometimes undeservingly. That's why it's nice to see that he's finally getting the recognition he deserves. In NFL Spin Zone's latest quarterback-head coach rankings, he and Mike Macdonald got the nod at No. 3.
The Seattle Seahawks are in a position to repeat
"Darnold has finally put it together, which started back in 2024 with Minnesota. While not an elite player, he’s quite good. Mike Macdonald, on the other hand, could be a top-3 head coach in the sport right now. He’s a wildly intelligent defensive mind and runs the type of defense that will continue to sustain in the NFL," wrote Scataglia.
Mike Macdonald has climbed the NFL ranks rapidly and notoriously. It was clear as day that he was a defensive guru when he was with the Baltimore Ravens, and he didn't need much time to return the Seattle Seahawks to their defensive dominance from the early Pete Carroll days.
He's a savvy and creative defensive architect who knows how to keep opposing offenses on their toes. With his versatile defensive backfield, he makes the most of his players' unique skill sets, putting them in a position to succeed in almost every matchup.
As for Darnold, he had to earn his stripes with two offensive gurus, Kyle Shanahan and Kevin O'Connell, before finally straightening the course of the ship.
It takes a ton of maturity and mental fortitude to go from being a top-three pick to a backup, but he put his head down, got to work, refused to give up on his dream, and came back from the ashes to lead a team to the Vince Lombardi trophy.
Some may argue that the Seahawks rallied behind their defense, a strong running game, and the best wide receiver in football to win that title, and that would be fair to a degree. Still, none of that would've been possible without Darnold behind center, and it's only right that he gets the recognition he's earned.
Of course, all eyes will be on him again in 2026. He'll have to prove that last year's success wasn't just a blip on the radar. Still, after stringing two strong seasons together, and with an impending contract extension looming large after this season, there's no reason to believe he won't be even better than he was in his first year in Seattle.
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