The Seattle Seahawks have their Geno Smith alternative in Sam Darnold. Now they should get him some assist.
Seattle’s settlement with Darnold is a three-year, $100.5 million contract with $55 million assured, in accordance with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
On paper, it’s primarily the identical deal Baker Mayfield signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers final offseason after a resurgent 2023 season. When accounting for the rise within the wage cap since then, nonetheless, Darnold’s deal appears extra like an up to date model of the three-year, $75 million contract Smith signed in March 2023 after his breakout season in 2022.
By common annual wage, Darnold’s contract is without doubt one of the lowest amongst veteran beginning quarterbacks. Justin Fields’ two-year, $40 million contract with the New York Jets — additionally agreed to on Monday — is at present the bottom. The rankings may change relying on what occurs with Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson.
However regardless, the Seahawks are buying Darnold for a cut price relative to the remainder of the veteran quarterback market, and doubtless for $7 million to $12 million much less per 12 months than Smith’s anticipated extension with the Raiders.
Geno Smith is anticipated to get a brand new cope with Las Vegas. He’s been trying to make between $40-$45 million a 12 months.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 8, 2025
Seattle is banking on getting one of the best model of Darnold, who earlier than final season had only one season wherein he threw for greater than 3,000 yards and accomplished a minimum of 60 p.c of his passes (2019 with the Jets). At his finest, Darnold is an athletic, strong-armed quarterback who could make big-time throws. There’s a motive he had the sixth-highest landing charge within the league at 6.4 p.c, only a few factors behind Joe Burrow (6.6) and effectively above the league common of 4.8 p.c (all stats supplied by TruMedia) in 2024.
Seattle noticed a few of Darnold’s finest work up shut in Minnesota’s Week 16 win at Lumen Discipline.
The Vikings have been in a position to get that model of Darnold final season by giving him a succesful offensive line — albeit one which struggled late within the 12 months — an excellent scheme that was heavy on play-action dropbacks, and top-of-the-line vast receiver tandems within the league. However buying a youthful, cheaper choice at quarterback gained’t matter if the Seahawks can’t give him that very same degree of assist, beginning with the offensive line.
Seattle is anticipated to signal former Ravens offensive lineman Josh Jones on a one-year deal value as much as $4.75 million, in accordance with a report Monday from Ian Rapoport of NFL Community. Jones has began a number of video games at guard and deal with since getting into the league as a third-round choose of the Cardinals in 2020. He’s more likely to be a do-it-all depth piece on the road and maybe a alternative for swing deal with George Fant, who was launched as a cap-saving measure final week.
Seattle ought to nonetheless actively seek for extra our bodies up entrance. The primary day of free company wasn’t a busy one for veteran facilities, however a few one of the best choices got here off the board. The Chicago Bears agreed to phrases with The Athletic’s top-ranked heart, Drew Dalman, on a three-year, $42 million contract that makes him the second-highest-paid heart by common annual wage. Chicago entered this offseason with the identical inside offensive line wants as Seattle, and the value the workforce paid to guard quarterback Caleb Williams speaks to how costly it may be to improve the entrance line.
Chicago traded a 2026 fourth-round choose to Kansas Metropolis for All-Professional guard Joe Thuney, who has a 2025 base wage of $15.5 million however is due for a contract extension forward of his age-33 season. The Bears additionally traded a 2025 sixth-round choose to the Rams for 28-year-old guard Jonah Jackson, who’s due $17.5 million this season.
Seattle basic supervisor John Schneider has expressed apprehension about making these types of commitments. He has made exceptions prior to now, such because the three-year, $22.5 million deal he signed 30-year-old Gabe Jackson to after buying and selling a fifth-round choose in 2021. The transfer appeased quarterback Russell Wilson, who publicly complained about his cross safety, nevertheless it was a deviation from Schneider’s typical participant acquisition technique. Jackson was helpful for less than the primary 12 months of the deal.
All of this ties into why the Seahawks have been largely dormant on the primary day of the negotiating interval. Schneider needs to take calculated dangers in free company, however that may be powerful to do when Seattle is one in every of many groups needing inside offensive upgrades.
A kind of different needy groups is Minnesota, which agreed to phrases with heart Ryan Kelly, The Athletic’s third-ranked heart, on a two-year, $18 million contract ($9 million assured). This Seahawks free-agency plan listed Kelly as a fallback choice within the occasion the Seahawks couldn’t land Josh Myers, The Athletic’s second-ranked heart. At this level in free company, a Myers signing could be Seattle’s finest path to upgrading the middle spot, which is essential in Klint Kubiak’s offense.
The start of free company was one for guards, and the following few days would possibly produce extra of the identical. The next offers have been agreed to on Monday, in accordance with a number of studies:
- Aaron Banks, Inexperienced Bay Packers — 4 years, $77 million
- Patrick Mekari, Jacksonville Jaguars — three years, $37.5 million
- James Daniels, Miami Dolphins — three years, $24 million
- Ben Bredeson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers — three years, $22 million
- Evan Brown, Arizona Cardinals — two years, $11.5 million
There are nonetheless a number of gamers accessible from The Athletic’s high 150 rankings, together with the top-ranked guard, Will Fries, No. 14 on the checklist. The others are Mekhi Becton (No. 26), Teven Jenkins (No. 33), Brandon Scherff (No. 51), Kevin Zeitler (No. 58), Will Hernandez (No. 79), Shaq Mason (No. 115) and Dalton Risner (No. 147).
The construction of Darnold’s deal will reveal extra about Seattle’s accessible cap house, however the workforce hasn’t in any other case made a lot of a dent with its different signings. Linebacker Ernest Jones IV and defensive deal with Jarran Reed have 12 months 1 cap hits of $5.2 and $5 million, respectively, in accordance with Over the Cap. Seattle has the cap room so as to add a number of affect gamers up entrance on the second day of free company.
If Banks’ deal is any indication, Fries is due for a serious payday, though the damaged leg that ended his 2024 season may restrict his market considerably. Seattle might need to sweeten its proposal with extra years, assured cash or each to pry him away from one other guard-needy workforce, equivalent to Minnesota. (Replace: Fries agreed to a five-year, $88 million cope with Minnesota on Tuesday, a league supply advised The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.)
Scherff or Zeitler could be good backup plans who make the Seahawks higher, however since they’re 33 and 35, these two former Professional Bowlers would clearly be short-term options.
Seattle must be lively within the vast receiver market, too, however the offensive line ought to be the precedence. As soon as that’s settled, Seattle can pursue receivers equivalent to Demarcus Robinson, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and even Cooper Kupp, who is anticipated to be launched by the Rams (it’s value noting the Seahawks have former Rams assistant coach Jake Peetz on workers because the passing sport coordinator).
An intriguing fullback choice has additionally emerged, because the 49ers are anticipated to launch veteran Kyle Juszczyk, in accordance with The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.
However Day 2 of free company must be about making certain the Seahawks have a a lot better run sport than they’ve had lately, and that Darnold isn’t always dodging cross rushers the way in which he was within the wild-card loss to the Rams. That sport seemed like a lot of Seattle’s outings with Smith, who was probably the most pressured quarterbacks within the league final season.
The one method to justify swapping Smith for Darnold within the identify of youth and cap financial savings is to reallocate these funds to the place group most chargeable for serving to the quarterback be at his finest.
(Photograph of Sam Darnold, left, and Seahawks outdoors linebacker Boye Mafe: Steph Chambers / Getty Photos)