Seahawks predicted to make bold Sam Darnold decision for 2028 NFL season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl last year with Sam Darnold at quarterback. While he wasn't the sole reason for the title, he did contribute enough to be considered their locked-in quarterback. Right?
Well, his future with Seattle might be a little uncertain, as the Seahawks didn't sign him to a contract extension, unlike the Philadelphia Eagles did with Saquon Barkley right after they won the Super Bowl. Darnold is still set to hit free agency after the 2027 season.
ESPN's Seth Walder, amid this uncertainty, shared a bold prediction that Darnold will not be with the Seahawks come the 2028 season, just a few years after helping the Seahawks win the Super Bowl in 2025.
Seahawks predicted to move on from Sam Darnold in 2028
"Darnold will not be on the Seahawks in 2028," Walder writes. "He started last season red-hot and finished fairly strong in Seattle's Super Bowl run. But from Weeks 10 to 18, he ranked 27th out of 30 quarterbacks in QBR."
While Darnold made the Pro Bowl this past season and helped the Seahawks win the Super Bowl while going 14-3 for the second straight season with two different teams, the Seahawks might be willing to move on from him after the 2027 season.
Unfortunately, it would not be a huge surprise if he struggled during the 2026 season with Seattle after losing Klint Kubiak to the Las Vegas Raiders.
He did throw 14 interceptions last season, and he also fumbled 11 times, the most in the NFL. Darnold did win the Super Bowl, but some concerning underlying metrics could convince the Seahawks to move on.
That, of course, relies upon the potential for Darnold to struggle in the upcoming 2026 season and have another rough year in 2027.
If he were to be a Pro Bowler in either of these next two seasons, it's hard to imagine Darnold isn't on the Seahawks during the 2028 season. But that's why this is a bold prediction.
Even though he'll be a free agent after 2027, Darnold returning to Seattle seems to be the most likely outcome. However, he could just as easily leave after the 2027 season with his contract not being renewed.
Walder's prediction would be a shame, as it'd mean the Seahawks likely weren't a good team these next two seasons. But it's not too unrealistic for Darnold to struggle again as he did early in his career, and effectively force the Seahawks to move on.
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