Sam Darnold’s 2024 season was one of the biggest surprises in the NFL. Many had thought his career was over and he had started his last game in the NFL in New York. JJ Mccarthy going down in the preseason for the Minnesota Vikings and missing the whole campaign provided Sam Darnold a great opportunity. He made the most of it, having an MVP-level season.
The season he had last year was enough to convince the Seattle Seahawks to not pay Geno Smith and sign Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract this offseason. His play may have been enough to convince the Seahawks, but he hasn’t convinced everyone that he can be last year’s version of himself in another city.
Sam Monson, NFL insider for the 33rd team, gave his thoughts on this topic highlighted in a Seattle Sports piece.
“The first 16 games of last season, Sam Darnold was (at a) Pro Bowl, borderline All-Pro level of play – a genuinely fantastic, completely different player from anything we’d seen in his NFL career thus far,” Monson said. “And then the final two weeks was a complete and total disintegration and it was all the way back to Sam Darnold seeing ghosts. So we could see anything (this) year. We could see him back up to the Pro Bowl/All-Pro-level Darnold. We could see him go completely in the tank again and be back to being the New York Jets’ top pick that was ultimately cast aside and became a journeyman. Or really anything in the middle – inconsistent play week to week, or just a sort of middle ground where he’s good but not great.”
The Seattle Seahawks present a totally different environment for Sam Darnold. He is not walking into a situation with the same luxuries he had last season in Minnesota. Several factors will influence which version of Sam Darnold we will get this season.
One magical season could be all Darnold needed to reach what he was expected to be when he arrived in the NFL from USC. The talent has never been a question for Sam Darnold; he had been a victim of his environments in New York and Carolina. He finally found a great spot in Minnesota, but now he has left that comfort zone.
Last season we saw how good he can be when he has all the pieces to be successful. The Seahawks are hoping they have enough to get last year’s version of Darnold.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: NFL insider questions if Sam Darnold can replicate last year’s success
Reporting by Micah Huff, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
