The Seattle Seahawks have given Sam Darnold a chance to be the franchise quarterback. The 12 thought he had earned it after helping the team win a Super Bowl, but not even half a season later, all trust and hope for him are gone. Darnold has regressed significantly and can't be trusted not to turn the ball over.
Darnold's seven turnovers in the last four games are a direct reason why the Seahawks are 3-3 and looking like they will miss the playoffs. He was signed to a team-friendly deal of three years, $100 million in the 2025 offseason. The Seahawks created a potential out this upcoming offseason if they should feel the need to activate it.
There is a chance the Seahawks start over at quarterback going into next season, regardless of whether they might make the playoffs or not. General manager John Schneider and his front office staff have some good options.
Drew Lock
There was a time this 2026 NFL Season when the Seahawks had one of the most efficient quarterbacks and it wasn't Darnold. Through five weeks and the Thursday Night Football game, backup Drew Lock remains at the top of the league in quarterback rating at 127.3. Through most of the game versus the New England Patriots and the entire game versus the Arizona Cardinals, Lock has completed 72.9% of his passes for 422 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Seahawks should give Lock a chance to prove to the team that he can’t put the team in danger of losing late off mistakes like Darnold. What is the worst that could happen? Lock could have a late turnover that costs the team a win, but the team already has three of those losses. Lock could be the top option moving forward if Seattle needs a new starter in 2027.
The 2027 NFL Draft
The 2027 NFL Draft is an option that the front office should take seriously if they need a new franchise quarterback. There are seven quarterbacks in the top 25 of ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest board. Oregon's Dante Moore, Missouri's Austin Simmons and Notre Dame's CJ Carr are players the Seahawks should be interested in the most.
Seattle has 11 picks in the 2027 Draft, but the problem is that if they need to move up for a quarterback, teams won't be interested in one of the multiple late day two or day three picks. If the Seahawks continue to lose, they might find themselves in a favorable spot to draft a quarterback in the first round without having to trade.
Wildcard Free Agents or Make a Big Trade
One decision the front office could make that might be less favorable than the 2027 Draft or Lock is getting a temporary option. There is less risk for players who set to be free agents at the end of the season and there aren't great players, but they are serviceable enough to not throw late interceptions. Among the options who are set to be free agents next offseason are Kirk Cousins, Marcus Mariota (who beat the Seahawks in Week 3), Kyler Murray and Mac Jones.
The Seahawks might look at the trade market too for disgruntled quarterbacks. Some options might include Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts, Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson, Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow and Houston Texans' CJ Stroud. This is a risky move considering the Seahawks would have to give up a lot for these quarterbacks and pay them a lot of money. All options should be on the table if Darnold single-handedly costs more games.
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