Sam Darnold might have just walked into the same situation in Seattle as he did with Minnesota without even realizing it. In a mock draft from NFL.com's Chad Reuter, Darnold might just be another bridge option – though expensive at that – for the Seahawks.
Reuter mocked the Seahawks to draft Quinn Ewers with the No. 52 pick in the NFL Draft as the quarterback-in-waiting. If nothing more, it’s insurance if Darnold folds like he did in the final two games of the season.
That would be wild if the Seahawks really drafted a quarterback high with the intention of having him wait around to be the quarterback of the future. Darnold is young enough to build around for the next five-plus years if he plays well.
So I don’t think the Seahawks would do that to Darnold, but the way his contract is structured, he could very well end up leaving Seattle just as quickly as he arrived. And if the Seahawks are already preparing for him to depart, that’s saying something.
NFL.com’s mock draft has Seahawks taking Quinn Ewers
Quinn Ewers is probably the most underrated quarterback in this draft class. Not from a talent perspective but from a hype perspective. He was once heralded as a top quarterback prospect and quickly became an afterthought.
That’s why the Seahawks might be interested in pulling the trigger on him early. And they’re not wrong in their thinking to consider taking a quarterback while also having Darnold. After all, the reason Minnesota didn’t want to pay Darnold was because he didn’t play well enough to warrant a $30 million contract.
Darnold has yet another prove-it contract. He has to prove to Seattle that he can be their long term quarterback that can pick up where Geno Smith left off. Seattle felt Smith had already reached his peak which is why they let him go.
If Darnold doesn’t prove he is the quarterback of the future, Seattle could turn on him just like Minnesota did.
Seattle could end up taking Ewers – or another quarterback at that – and it would feel like deja vu all over again for Darnold. He came to Minnesota as the bridge option who might not have even started last year.
But J.J. McCarthy’s injury provided the window of opportunity for him to revive his career. It even earned him a shot with the Seattle Seahawks this upcoming season. What a shame it would be for all of that to go to the wayside a year later and he end up exactly where he ended the 2024 season.