Seahawks GM points to Geno Smith as proof their gamble on Sam Darnold can work even if it looks risky from the outside
The Seattle Seahawks made multiple big changes to their offense this offseason. They traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders so they could sign Sam Darnold to be their new starting QB. Some may view this as risky, but GM John Schneider had a lot of success with Smith rejuvenating his career in Seattle, and […]
The Seattle Seahawks made multiple big changes to their offense this offseason. They traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders so they could sign Sam Darnold to be their new starting QB.
Some may view this as risky, but GM John Schneider had a lot of success with Smith rejuvenating his career in Seattle, and he sees some similarities with this situation now.
Mike Silver of The Athletic's most recent piece covered the Seahawks' addition of Sam Darnold. With him being able to speak directly to Darnold as well as Seahawks GM John Schneider, who looks to his past experience with Geno Smith as a reason Darnold can be successful in Seattle.
“I do see him (as ascending), because — well, the experience we had with Geno would tell us that,” general manager John Schneider said. “These guys need reps, and he got a ton (in 2024). “The undercurrent from the league going into last season was that he had kind of turned the corner. And then, the evidence was there.”
There are certainly some similarities between Smith and Darnold. Both former high draft picks, Smith as a second rounder, Darnold as a first rounder, and both drafted by the New York Jets. They both went on to be looked at as busts or failures with the Jets and had to go elsewhere to find success. For Smith, he did that with the Seahawks, and Darnold did it with the Minnesota Vikings last season.
Some might say the Seahawks already seeing Darnold show what he can do makes this less risky, and to an extent, they'd be right. But they also just gave Darnold a three-year, $100.5 million contract. When they gave Smith the keys to be their starter, obviously, it would have hurt their chances of winning if he failed, but they didn't have anywhere near $100 million tied to him. If Danold doesn't pan out, it's going to be an epic disaster in Seattle. Hopefully, that isn't the future for them, though, and they can get the version of Darnold who threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns last season with the Vikings.
NFL insider reminds everyone why the Seahawks made the right call swapping Sam Darnold for Geno Smith
The Seattle Seahawks made not one, but two of the biggest moves of the offseason via the decisions to trade former Pro Bowler Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders and sign former Top-5 pick Sam Darnold after a career year that saw him toss 35 touchdown during the regular season. As with any decision, […]
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We need this to happen.
