Eric Williams
NFL Reporter
Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider hopes his franchise will return to winning ways.
Well, Schneider thinks he took a big step in the right direction by securing the most coveted quarterback in free agency, signing a three-year, $110 million deal, including a $55 million guarantee. The only question left – and that’s a big question – will he be the club’s long-term answer?
The Seahawks moved from Genosmith’s productive signal attacker this weekend by trading him for the Las Vegas Raiders because Schneider didn’t want to invest a lot of money in long distances as a 34-year-old QB.
Instead, the Seahawks go with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who is seven years younger, and Darnold, who is familiar with the West Coast.
Kubiak was the passing game coordinator and quarterback coach for the San Francisco 49ers, where Darnold was the team’s backup in 2023. Darnold also appeared in a similar offensive system last season, posting MVP Caliber figures for head coach Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings.
Darnold helped lead Minnesota to a 14-3 record, earning a career-high of 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, with just 12 interceptions. Darnold also faced the Seahawks, passing 246 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-24 victory in Seattle in Week 16. However, he struggled strongly in the final two games of the season.
Schneider said he hopes the Seahawks will get more balance on the offense and rely on the running game to put pressure on the QB. To do this, Seattle is no. After trading receiver DK Metcalf in 1 and releasing popular veteran Tyler Rocket, he needs more talented bodies inside the offensive line.
The Seahawks have kept two key parts in a improved defense by signing linebacker Ernest Jones and signing Jalan Reid on a multi-year deal before the start of free agency. This will retain two basic pieces for defense that keeps rival crimes at 18.4 points in the last eight games of the year. Despite being a 10-7 mark overall, Seattle missed the playoffs and didn’t win postseason games during Smith’s three-year tenure.
In Darnold, the Seahawks believe they secured an upgrade in a very important quarterback position. They will know soon enough if his career revival is a reality and whether he will make them a candidate. Otherwise, they could correctly find themselves where they were with Smith.
Eric D. Williams He has reported on the NFL for over a decade, covering sports illustrators Los Angeles Rams, ESPN’s Los Angeles Chargers and the Seattle Seahawks of the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him with X @eric_d_williams.
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