Sam Darnold’s career-best season didn’t earn him a second campaign with the Minnesota Vikings.
The Seattle Seahawks are thankful for the way things went down as Darnold is proving to be a good fit just four games into his tenure in the Pacific Northwest.
Seattle landed Darnold as a free agent with a three-year, $100.5 million contract, including $55 million guaranteed. The arrangement was set up in a way that the Seahawks could part ways with him if things didn’t work out.
But escaping from the deal doesn’t look necessary.
Darnold has guided the Seahawks to a 3-1 start after Thursday night’s 23-20 victory over the host Arizona Cardinals. Seattle has a chance to be real good with him at the helm.
Darnold helped Seattle take a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead before the Cardinals mounted a comeback and tied the score.
That turned out to be no problem for Darnold. The Seahawks got the ball back with 28 seconds left and they drove for Jason Myers’ game-winning 52-yard field goal as time expired.
It wasn’t a monster night statistically – 242 passing yards, one touchdown – but Darnold was efficient while helping Seattle notch its third straight victory.
Darnold looks like a leader and plays with poise. He has completed 70 percent of his passes over the first four games of the season.
Remember, Seattle is the fifth team Darnold has started at least one game for and he is just 28 years old.
He was the No. 3 overall pick in 2018 but his three seasons with the New York Jets were largely forgettable unless you recall the Monday night game against the New England Patriots in 2019 when he was mic’d up and was heard saying “seeing ghosts” on the sideline right after throwing an interception.
He later bounced around to the Carolina Panthers (2021-22) and San Francisco 49ers (2023) before reviving his career with the Vikings.
Minnesota was intent on having 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy be the starting quarterback this season so Darnold had to find a new home.
And it’s a great place to be as the Seahawks have a solid defense despite their fourth-quarter woes on Thursday.
Plus, Darnold and standout wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba are forming a top-notch partnership. The Ohio State product already has 26 receptions for 402 yards and one touchdown.
The Cardinals would like to see their former Buckeyes star produce like that.
Marvin Harrison Jr., the No. 4 pick in 2024, didn’t have a huge rookie season and he was displaying some of his problem areas during the first half of Thursday’s game.
He ran the wrong pattern one time, there was miscommunication another time and also the dreaded occasion when the ball rolled off his hands and right into Seattle’s Ernest Jones IV for an interception.
Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray was less than thrilled to get an interception in that manner. The TV cameras showed him walk right by Harrison in disgust.
Harrison rebounded well in the second half and finished with six receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown. In four games this season, he has 16 catches for 208 yards and two touchdowns.
Thursday’s scoring reception was the 10th of his career in 21 games. Harrison is just 23 so there is plenty of time for the lights to come.
Murray also threw another interception and was sacked six times. He did throw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to get Arizona back in the game.
Murray is in his seventh season as a starter and is putting together a solid career but there are few signs that he will reach the elite level of NFL quarterbacks.
The running game might be a bigger issue for the Cardinals (2-2).
Lead back James Conner sustained a season-ending foot injury last week and Murray (41 yards) ended up being Arizona’s leading rusher against Seattle. Trey Benson (35 yards on eight carries) received the most work among the running backs.
The Cardinals lost to the San Francisco 49ers the previous week and are 0-2 against fellow NFC West foes.
Based on those two results, Arizona will more likely end up at the bottom of the division than the top.
