The 2024 season was a mixed bag for Sam Darnold.
On one hand, the quarterback reinvented his career after having a career-best regular season. However, on the other hand, Darnold's play fell way below expectations in the playoffs, and his team had its season ended early as a result.
Regardless, Darnold's stellar regular season led to the passer receiving a big contract from the Seattle Seahawks in free agency. After trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Seahawks gave Darnold a three-year, $100.5-million deal.
The Seahawks did also bring in Drew Lock and draft Jalen Milroe in the third round of the 2025 draft, but head coach Mike Macdonald has been emphatic that Darnold will be the starter no matter what.
Recently, Sam Darnold sat down with The Athletic to discuss the end of the 2024 season and the upcoming season in Seattle. Regarding last season's playoff failure, Darnold didn't hold back.
“For lack of a better term, we laid an egg as an offense,” Darnold said following a minicamp practice last week. “And I think, for me personally, that sucks. I felt like we were a really good team, but at the end of the day — and this is gonna sound a little pessimistic — but when you get to the end of it and you don’t win the whole thing, you failed.
“I feel like I could have played way better, to be completely honest with you. I feel I didn’t play up to my standard. I truly feel that way. I feel like if I would have just played better, I would’ve been able to give the team a chance.”
Overall, Darnold threw for a career-high 4,319 yards with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2024, while leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record.
However, in the team's Wild Card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, Darnold didn't look how he looked during the regular season. The quarterback threw for just 245 yards with one touchdown and one interception while getting sacked nine times. The Vikings went on to lose 27-9.
The Seahawks clearly weren't deterred by that performance, though, and are hoping Darnold gets another chance in the playoffs soon.
In Seattle, Darnold will have Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp to throw to, while 2025 first-round pick Grey Zabel should help the offensive line improve.
Additionally, Darnold should feel a little more comfortable in Seattle due to Klint Kubiak being the offensive coordinator. Kubiak and Darnold were together in San Francisco for the 2023 season and both men have experience with the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree.