The Seattle Seahawks have been as active as any team in the NFL since the 2024 season wrapped up in ways nobody could've possibly imagined. Their offense has been completely revamped, as Geno Smith, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett were replaced by Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
The Seahawks revamping their wide receiver room wasn't too surprising, especially after Metcalf requested a trade, but Seattle replacing Smith with Darnold certainly opened some eyes.
On one hand, it made sense, as the Seahawks were getting much younger and cheaper under center, and an argument can be made that Darnold even has more upside than Smith. On the other hand, though, Smith was rock-solid in Seattle, and the Seahawks' offensive line is subpar. Darnold crumbled when facing pressure last season, so the fit will be worth watching.
Darnold wound up signing a three-year, $100.5 million deal to join the Seahawks. It was a hefty payday for Darnold, but with how the contract is structured, the Seahawks have a way out of this marriage after just one season by cutting him as long as he is healthy.
Given the fact that Darnold has just one successful NFL season as a starter and with how the Seahawks structured this contract, it'd make sense for Seattle to have a viable backup sitting behind him, and it's safe to say that neither Sam Howell nor Jaren Hall is the answer. Matt Miller's latest mock draft ($) at ESPN has them acquiring that intriguing backup option, Quinn Ewers, in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Seahawks could replace Sam Darnold with Quinn Ewers if things go awry
When asked which team could be a sleeper in the QB market during the NFL Draft, Miller had interesting things to say about Seattle.
"The Sam Darnold redemption story is great. But there's a chance he doesn't maintain the level of success he had in 2024 now that he doesn't have Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell calling the plays and a great receiver duo supporting him. And given the short term of his contract (three years) and large payout in Year 1, the Seahawks could still look to add at the position. OK, maybe not quite as early as the Falcons did last year by taking Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 after signing Kirk Cousins, but the idea is the same. I'd keep an eye on Texas' Quinn Ewers on Day 2, when Seattle has four total selections."
Miller is spot on here. Darnold showed a lot of promise in 2024, but many quarterbacks would've thrived with Kevin O'Connell calling plays and stars like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison catching passes. He could feasibly fizzle, and it would make sense for the Seahawks to use one of their several Day 2 selections on a guy like Quinn Ewers.
Ewers probably won't be ready to play in an NFL game immediately after being drafted, but he wouldn't have to with Darnold in the mix. Ewers can learn from Darnold and play in a Kyle Shanahan style of offense under offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, setting himself up for success.