Quarterback Sam Darnold continued to dispel his naysayers with the Seattle Seahawks last season. The signal-caller earned a second straight Pro Bowl nomination and led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title.
Darnold appears to still have some critics who want to see the quarterback have fewer turnovers this fall. But don’t count Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon among them.
On Friday, Gagnon named Darnold to his list of five “under-the-radar” candidates to win MVP during the 2026 NFL season.
“Still only 29 and with limited mileage, Darnold could be building up toward his best season yet,” wrote Gagnon. “He’s got plenty of support on both sides of the ball, and his confidence level could be sky-high coming off that Super Bowl run.
“The ingredients are there for a former top-three pick.”
Darnold has certainly done enough winning recently to be in the MVP conversation. Last season, he also completed 67.7% of his passes for 4,048 passing yards. Darnold threw 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions as well.
Seahawks QB Sam Darnold Named Dark Horse MVP Candidate
GettyBleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon named Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold an “under-the-radar” MVP candidate for the 2026 NFL season.
Darnold didn’t really get the heap of praise most quarterbacks under 30 receive when they win the Super Bowl. That might have been because the Seahawks didn’t have a terrific offensive performance in the Super Bowl, and Darnold didn’t win MVP.
But Darnold has been getting a lot of praise this month. Rightfully so, as he has posted an .816 win percentage as a starting quarterback since the start of 2024 (including the playoffs).
Last season, Darnold registered a career-best completion percentage with a career-high 8.5 yards per pass average. If he had more touchdown passes, he very likely would have been in the MVP conversation.
To win MVP, Darnold will probably have to throw fewer interceptions. The last time a quarterback won league MVP with at least 14 interceptions was Peyton Manning in 2009.
But outside of his turnovers, Darnold has the qualifications to be an MVP candidate in 2026.
How Darnold Looked at Seahawks Minicamp
GettyQuarterback Sam Darnold is entering his second season with the Seattle Seahawks.
Offseason workouts aren’t always an indication of what’s to come. But based on how Darnold looked at Seahawks minicamp, there’s reason to think he will be even better in his second season with Seattle.
That was former Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck’s conclusion after he watched Darnold and the team’s offense on June 11.
“I think he’s gonna be better,” Hasselbeck said on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Thursday. “That was probably my single-biggest takeaway from practice.
“If you knew nothing else, you travel to 31 other minicamps, you watch the starting quarterback on 31 other teams – Sam Darnold is one of the 10 best on the planet right now.
“His timing, his precision, his accuracy, his anticipation, his red-zone awareness (was impressive).”
Hasselbeck finished his praise for Darnold saying the quarterback was “exceptional,” and had “complete command and control.”
That should have Seahawks fans really excited about training camp. Darnold could contend for Seattle’s first MVP trophy since 2005.
But more importantly, Darnold being an MVP candidate will give the Seahawks a great chance to repeat as champions.
Seahawks’ Sam Darnold Gets Bold 2026 NFL Season Prediction