Brock Purdy’s approach to the game apparently helped shift Sam Darnold’s mindset.
It seems most folks believe that the Seattle Seahawks are getting a downgrade at quarterback by going from Geno Smith to Sam Darnold. Prior to the 2024 NFL season they would have been completely correct. Early in his career as a pro Darnold was gifted but entirely too turnover-prone and generally reckless with the ball. Simply put, Darnold was trying to do too much. Now, he appears to have found just the right balance between aggression and caution.
That echoes the same journey that Geno Smith’s game went through. At some point between getting benched by the Jets after the 2014 season and becoming Seattle’s starter in 2021 Smith took a huge leap forward in his development, growing from a bottom-25 starter/borderline backup to one of the top 10 performers at his position. Smith’s best ROI was also learning not to force it.
If you didn’t see Darnold play with the Minnesota Vikings last season, you should know that Darnold just took an even bigger leap – the greatest single-year improvement the NFL has seen since Josh Allen went from a bottom-feeder to an MVP candidate overnight. Darnold went from being a 35th-40th ranked QB in 2023 to playing at a top-five level for much of the 2024 season.
So, what changed for Darnold? If you ask him, it’s something he heard from Brock Purdy, who he was backing up in 2023 on the San Francisco 49ers. Apparently Purdy’s approach as a point guard/distributor was what struck Darnold to change his style. Here’s what he had to say about it during introductory Seahawks press conference.
“I really thank Brock, you know, a ton. Brock Purdy, for just his style of play and how he kind of describes his style of like ‘we’ve got a ton of great playmakers on offense. My job is just to play point guard and get the ball in their hands and let em go do great things with the rock.’ And when I started to change my thought process as a quarterback to kinda just getting the ball in my guys’ hands – then that really it’s where it kind-of unlocked for me.”
Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Of course it’s easier to act as a point guard when you have a skill group as good as the 49ers’ or the Vikings, and less easy when you have to play hero ball, as Geno Smith had to far too often this past season thanks to all the pressure he was under.
Much will depend on how much the Seahawks’ offensive line is improved, but that would have been the case with Smith anyway. Darnold at present is a more gifted athlete than Geno and far, far, more talented than Purdy. That means he can occasionally play the shooting guard role as needed, but the Seahawks have assembled a pretty respectable receiver corps for him, including Pro Bowlers Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, plus burner Marquez Valdez-Scanting, who will help take advantage of what was the best deep ball in the league last season. Darnold also will have quality pass-catchers at running back in Ken Walker and Zach Charbonnet.
Getting a tight end upgrade should be on the list, but again none of this is likely to matter if the offensive line isn’t at least better than reprehensible. Either way, Darnold’s new approach to the game is a healthier one and it’s a key element for younger quarterbacks growing into themselves.
Seahawks fans should be giddy about what Darnold could do as he continues to develop, but if it doesn’t work out the team has a very quick out after one season. Given the way his contract is structured, it’s tough for Seattle to lose.