After making wholesale changes over the weekend by trading away both Geno Smith and D.K. Metcalf, the Seahawks have landed their new franchise quarterback. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Darnold has agreed to a three-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seahawks, including $55 million guaranteed.
Darnold is coming off the best season of his career. In his 17 starts with the Vikings last season, Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 43 touchdowns – both of which are by far career highs for the quarterback – while leading Minnesota to a 14-3 record. Darnold finished 10th in MVP voting, but his impressive campaign with the Vikings ended on a sour note, as they were eliminated by the Rams in the Wild Card round by 18 points.
Nonetheless, Darnold was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL last season and he is only 27-years-old. Darnold leaves a Vikings team that will now go forward with J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback, which presumably was always their plan once he was healthy, after Minnesota selected McCarthy 10th overall in the 2024 NFL draft.
With Metcalf traded to the Steelers and Tyler Lockett released, Darnold’s clear top weapon in Seattle is Jaxson Smith-Njigba. The wideout finally finds himself as a No.1 receiver and Smith-Njigba should be in store for a huge season with Darnold at the helm.
With Darnold joining the Seahawks, they carry +6500 odds to win the Super Bowl on DraftKings Sportsbook.
