The Seattle Seahawks have enjoyed an offseason full of celebrations, which is what happens when you win the Super Bowl in the NFL. The Seahawks had everything come together for them last season, with perhaps the most important development being the play of quarterback Sam Darnold under center.
Seattle’s front office took a big swing last offseason when it signed Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract in free agency, and he immediately led the team to a championship. After struggling early in his career, Darnold has solidified his standing as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. According to ESPN’s latest quarterback rankings, though, Darnold still isn’t ranked among the 10 best players at his position.
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Darnold was selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, but he never panned out for them under center. After a brief stint with the Carolina Panthers, Darnold spent the 2023 campaign with the San Francisco 49ers as their backup, which prompted the Minnesota Vikings to take a flier on him for the 2024 season. After earning the starting job, Darnold promptly put together a Pro Bowl campaign.
That led the Seahawks to go all-in for Darnold, and he turned in another Pro Bowl season (323/477, 4,048 YDS, 25 TD, 14 INT). Darnold actually was a bit worse than he was during his breakout campaign with the Vikings in 2024, but he did exactly what needed to be done in order to help the Seahawks win games.
Sure, Darnold benefited from a spectacular supporting cast on both sides of the ball, but that doesn’t negate the fact that when his team needed him most, he delivered the goods. Still, in a rankings list that factors in the input of scouts, coaches, and executives from across the league, Darnold was not among the top-10 quarterbacks in the NFL, even though he just led his squad to a championship.
“What a career bounce-back. He’s been lights-out for two years. Deserves to be in the top 10,” a high-ranking AFC team official said of Darnold, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
Sam Darnold Still Has More to Prove in 2026 with the Seahawks
GettySEATTLE, WASHINGTON – FEBRUARY 11: Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks raises the Lombardi Trophy during the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl LX victory celebration and parade at Lumen Field on February 11, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
At times, Darnold was a game manager last season for Seattle. As the year went on, the offense leaned heavily on its rushing attack, and the defense asserted itself as the most versatile group in the league. With everyone else around him playing at a high level, there wasn’t much for Darnold to do (just go watch Super Bowl LX for further proof).
When all is said and done, though, you need your quarterback to play well in order to win a Super Bowl, and when the Seahawks needed a big play, Darnold typically found a way to step up last season. There’s a lot of talent at the quarterback position in the NFL, but Darnold needs to be included in the top 10 of this group. Winning a title clearly wasn’t enough to earn him that honor, so Darnold will be entering the 2026 campaign with a pretty big chip on his shoulder.
Seahawks’ Sam Darnold Snubbed from Prestigious QB List Despite Super Bowl Victory