Backflip artist, Former #1 overall pick and new Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has stolen the show. He spoke with assurance about his transition to the press corps during an introductory news conference in March. Darnold’s recent past with the Minnesota Vikings, most notably a disastrous finish to the 2024 campaign, is hard to ignore. Salary cap considerations aside, is the former No. Can he address his sack problems effectively in Seattle’s scheme? Darnold is already pretty deep in the team’s offseason practices. In the meantime, the Seahawks are just trying to fine-tune things to be ready for a great season to come.
Darnold’s last campaign at Minnesota ended on a wretched note, capped off with a pair of cumulative beatings during the playoffs. Despite leading the Vikings to a strong 14-2 record over their first 16 games and throwing 35 touchdown passes during a Pro Bowl campaign, Darnold’s struggles became evident in critical moments. He absorbed nine sacks in the wild-card round against the Los Angeles Rams. This is emblematic of a national crisis that he’s set out to remedy in Seattle.
In Seattle’s five offseason practices, Darnold’s performance were all over the place. He had flashes of brilliance, but at times he found himself falling victim to the same ailments that plagued his disappointing sophomore season. Darnold was sacked seven times while playing behind an offensive line that had dwindled to its fourth option at right tackle. Connor Williams’ unexpected retirement didn’t make things easier. Now, Darnold has to scramble to adjust—in more ways than one—to this sudden change of plans.
Listen, I took some bad sacks last year, especially those last few games,” Darnold said. What impressed me was his ability to look back and realize how far he has to go. He took, on average, 2.92 seconds before releasing the ball, 34th among all quarterbacks in that span. On top of that, he logged the eighth-highest sack rate at 7.2% over his first five seasons.
To counter these worries, Darnold’s working on improving the basics. He emphasized the importance of “keeping two hands on the ball in the pocket at all times” and mentioned that getting the ball out on time is crucial.
“I think being able to get the ball out a little bit quicker … and even if a guy is covered, even if my back’s covered on a checkdown, just throwing it at his feet,” – Sam Darnold
The Seahawks coaching staff is equally committed to making Darnold’s process better when he’s faced with pressure. He’s got a lot of help in this process, namely from offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko. Kubiak underscored that they use the moving launch point to their advantage as a strategic change up. This tactic serves to open spaces for bolder and more decisive action.
Kubiak was cautious, stressing that changing the launch point simply adds one tool to their toolkit. They grab every chance they can to otherwise do that adjustment.
Darnold knows that means he’ll have to play differently in line with Kubiak’s system. In addition, he is learning to navigate the unique pressure that accompanies his new job. His $100.5 million, three-year deal comes with an out clause for the Seahawks after only one year. This raises the stakes, since it puts tremendous pressure on him to deliver dramatic and sudden improvement.
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