With Geno Smith now with the Raiders, the Seahawks are setting their sights on another familiar face from the Jets, Sam Darnold.
The Seahawks made headlines on Friday by trading Smith to Las Vegas, snagging a third-round pick in return, according to various reports.
Left without a starting quarterback, the Seahawks are turning their attention to Darnold in the upcoming free agency. As reported by The Athletic, the legal tampering period kicks off this Monday, which might open the door for negotiations.
At 27, Darnold just completed a standout season with the Vikings. His impressive stats include 4,319 passing yards, an average of 254.1 yards per game, and 35 touchdowns, setting new personal bests across the board.
Darnold, originally a first-round pick for the Jets back in 2017, was instrumental in pushing Minnesota to their second playoff showing in three years. With the team chalking up its best regular season since 1998, Darnold earned his first Pro Bowl nod.
Despite their strong regular season, the Vikings’ playoff run was cut short with a crushing defeat by the Rams in the wild-card round.
The Vikings have reportedly extended a contract offer to Darnold, although specifics around the financials remain under wraps, as per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
On the Rich Eisen Show, Pelissero mentioned, “The Vikings have an offer on the table for him. They’ve been negotiating, but their decision to skip the franchise tag suggests Darnold’s market isn’t as robust as expected.”
Geno Smith and Sam Darnold share a strikingly similar career path. Both once Jets quarterbacks, they found success only after moving to different teams.
Smith, now 34, rejoins his former coach Pete Carroll at the Raiders. They spent a fruitful few years together in Seattle from 2020 to 2023.
Carroll’s impact on Smith’s career was substantial, guiding him to two Pro Bowl appearances and the AP Comeback Player of the Year title in 2022.
