Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold silenced many doubters as he played a major role in the team’s Super Bowl LX title last season. However, ahead of the final preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs and with the 2026 NFL season nearing, Darnold still had doubters.
Last season, Darnold had 559 pass snaps for the Seahawks, leading to a 79.3 overall PFF grade. Moreover, he threw for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns against 14 interceptions while recording 29 big-time throws and 19 turnover-worthy plays.
Despite his production and role in the Super Bowl win, FOX Sports’ Jason McIntyre attributes the Seahawks’ success to their elite defense and special teams rather than their play at QB.
“Sam Darnold suddenly is elevated to like top-10 quarterback status by many people,” McIntyre, who was filling in for host Colin Cowherd, said on the Aug. 27 edition of “The Herd.” “I like Sam Darnold. I loved him with the [New York Jets]. I thought he was great at USC.
“I think the reality is we’re a little irrationally high on Sam Darnold, and I think the best comparison for him, folks, is Trent Dilfer, another guy who won a Super Bowl with Baltimore, an amazing defense, and he was kind of a game manager. There’s nothing wrong with being a game manager. Being a game manager wins you Super Bowls. I compare Darnold to Dilfer because I think Darnold is like a deluxe version of Dilfer.”
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Moreover, McIntyre cited statistics indicating that the Seahawks’ success last season had little to do with Darnold’s production.
“I got some numbers for you that are gonna concern you if you’re a Sam Darnold truther,” McIntyre added. “So, last nine games of the season, Sam Darnold really struggled. Nine touchdowns, nine interceptions, 13 TDs, 14 giveaways. So you’d think, oh my gosh, your quarterback was below average in the final nine games.
“How did they do? They went 8-1 because they had an amazing defense making up for the Darnold mistakes. Folks, again, I like Sam Darnold. He seems like a great guy. I’m rooting for him, but again, the numbers don’t lie, folks.”
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McIntyre also notes that the Seahawks didn’t need Darnold to lead them to victories late in games, as another reason the veteran QB shouldn’t be part of the discussion of the Top 10 signal callers in the NFL.
“He had two fourth-quarter comebacks all of last season,” McIntyre said. “Why? Because you don’t need them when you got a great defense. And the two comebacks, one against the [Indianapolis Colts] where the kicker kicks a 56-yard field goal, it’s not like he went the length of the field, and then that fluky game against the [Los Angeles Rams] on Thursday Night Football where they’re down in the fourth, they get a punt return touchdown, special teams.”
Darnold is coming off back-to-back seasons in which he puts up impressive numbers. His lone season with the Minnesota Vikings and his first season with the Seahawks still lead media pundits like McIntyre to believe that Darnold is not a Top 10 player at his position.
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