The assumption has been that the Seattle Seahawks got better by trading Geno Smith and signing Sam Darnold. However, one NFL insider believes it was a terrible change at quarterback for the ‘Hawks.
This has been a very busy last week for the Seattle Seahawks. Last week, rumors became a reality when the team surprised many NFL observers by shipping off starting QB Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. Many wondered what the franchise would do to replace him. Well, that reveal only took a few days as they made a huge splash in free agency by signing the top QB on the market, Sam Darnold.
- Geno Smith stats (2024): 4,320 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, 93.2 passer rating
It was only just a few seasons ago that Smith was one of the best stories in the NFL as he won Comeback Player of the Year and Pro Bowl honors for the first time. Yet, another Pro Bowl appearance (in 2023) and a 10-win season in 2024 was not enough for Seattle. Instead, they brought in this past season’s version of Smith in Darnold. A man who led the Minnesota Vikings to 14 wins.
On paper, it seems the Seahawks upgraded the position. But veteran NFL insider Gregg Rosenthal seems to think they got worse in the swap.
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Did the Seattle Seahawks get worse by swapping Geno Smith for Sam Darnold?
“On paper, you look at the contract and it’s very similar to the one that Baker Mayfield got a couple of years ago,” Rosenthal said on NFL Network. “It does make sense in some ways. He’s much younger — by seven years. He’s cheaper. You look at Klint Kubiak’s offense. That type of system Darnold thrived in a year ago. It all makes sense. But one thing they haven’t thought about is Geno Smith is better at football.
“So, when he throws the ball, it goes exactly where he wants it to go. Before the play starts, Geno Smith gets a picture in his head, and after the play starts, he has an even clearer picture. And he is very smart at understanding what is happening out there. I question whether Sam Darnold does that as well,” he added. “For Seattle, in a vacuum, it makes sense. But we don’t live in a vacuum. Geno Smith is better.”
- Sam Darnold stats (2024): 4,319 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 102.5 passer rating
Both Smith and Darnold were viewed as draft busts until their breakout seasons. However, the former has turned the corner in his career and is still just 27 years old. He did work with a QB guru in Kevin O’Connell last season. And got to throw to, arguably, the game’s best receiver — Justin Jefferson.
There are certainly risks in the move. But it is one the Seattle Seahawks thought they needed to take.
Related: Seattle Seahawks initially wanted franchise-altering swap in Geno Smith trade to Las Vegas Raiders