Sam Darnold May Be Seahawks' Starting QB, But He Still Has Something to Prove

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is going into a second season with the team, marking the first time since 2022 that he is playing for the same team as the previous season.

Having stability and familiarity with his home should help Darnold improve his game for the 2026 campaign even after winning a Super Bowl last season.

“Living in the same area, having that stability, that’s been amazing,” Darnold told The Athletic insider Jeff Howe.

“In terms of being able to stay in one place because I have been — ‘journeyman’ may be a loose term — but I’ve been a journeyman for the last maybe three or four years. It’s been amazing to be able to stay here for this upcoming year and have a stable home instead of just bouncing from apartment to apartment. It can be so tough, and I lived that life for three years. It’s very nice to have a stable home.”

Sam Darnold Establishing Roots with Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold during training camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's easy to overlook how much the lifestyle for players on one-year contracts can affect their style of play, especially at the game's most important position. Now that Darnold is confirmed to be the Seahawks' starting quarterback for the foreseeable future, it could give him the confidence he needs to take more steps in his development.

Even though Darnold had the best year of his career in 2025, he still can turn it up a notch. At least that's what Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald thinks.

“The sky is the limit. Why would I put a limit on his development?” Macdonald said via Howe. “We respect what he’s gone through, but it’s not like we’re factoring that in on how we coach him. We invested in him, so we’re going to dive in headfirst and just go rip it. It’s really that simple.

“Right now in camp, how far can we take your game? So let’s just go for it and see where we land in a month. We’re not doing that by going through the motions. We’re going through that by having the correct mix of really pushing him, schematically challenging him on defense, setting up situations to have success, coaching the heck out of him, talking situational football.”

Sam Darnold Still Holds Key to Seahawks' Success

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold during the first training camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even though many credit the Seahawks' "Dark Side" defense with their Super Bowl run last season, Darnold's jump from situational backup to premier starter was crucial to the team's success. Darnold doesn't have to be Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, but he needs to manage the game and limit turnovers as much as possible.

Despite Darnold's success last season, he still had 14 interceptions, which was the highest number of his career since his rookie season back in 2018 with the New York Jets. He has 26 interceptions since 2024, which is third in the NFL behind Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Geno Smith, formerly of the Seahawks and Las Vegas Raiders.

Quarterback	Interceptions Since 2024
Geno Smith	32
Baker Mayfield	27
Sam Darnold	26
Bo Nix	23
Patrick Mahomes	22
Tua Tagovailoa	22
Brock Purdy	22

Darnold showed signs of promise during the playoffs when he didn't commit a single turnover across three games, which is a sign of progress. There is still a lot that he can do in his game to make the Seahawks better, and the team needs him to take those additional steps in order to keep them on the mountaintop.

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