Sam Darnold obtained a three-year, $100.5M contract from the Seattle Seahawks again in March after he guided the 2024 Minnesota Vikings to a 14-3 report.
Nevertheless, Darnold’s nightmare outings over the ultimate two video games of his Minnesota tenure have some questioning if he’ll without end come up brief on the game’s largest phases.
Throughout a latest chat with Michael Silver of The Athletic, Darnold spoke about all that went flawed for the Vikings throughout their Week 18 loss on the Detroit Lions and their wild-card playoff defeat on the Los Angeles Rams.
“For lack of a greater time period, we laid an egg as an offense,” Darnold instantly mentioned. “And I believe, for me personally, that sucks. I felt like we have been a very good crew, however on the finish of the day — and that is gonna sound a bit pessimistic — however once you get to the tip of it and also you don’t win the entire thing, you failed. I really feel like I may have performed method higher, to be utterly sincere with you. I really feel I didn’t play as much as my customary. I actually really feel that method. I really feel like if I’d have simply performed higher, I’d’ve been capable of give the crew an opportunity.”
Darnold established himself as the highest signal-caller of this 12 months’s free-agency class when, per ESPN stats, he completed the 2024 common season ranked fifth within the NFL with 35 passing touchdowns and fifth with 4,319 yards by way of the air. Nevertheless, he accomplished 18-of-41 passes for 166 yards with no touchdowns within the matchup versus the Lions that decided the champions of the NFC North and the No. 1 seed for the playoffs. Darnold then took 9 sacks, tossed an interception and misplaced a second-quarter fumble that was returned for a rating in opposition to the Rams.
For an article revealed on Thursday, ESPN’s Brady Henderson talked about that Darnold’s 7.7 p.c sack charge was the tenth highest amongst certified quarterbacks for the common season. Critics might say such a stat, coupled with Darnold’s final two video games with Minnesota, reveals he may as soon as once more see “ghosts” with Seattle.
“I realized rather a lot final season, from these two video games particularly,” Darnold added. “On the finish of the day, you undergo these experiences, you be taught, and also you get higher. I strive each single day to get higher. That’s it.”
If he would not “get higher” from what he was throughout his final two video games, a Seattle crew that made quarterback Jalen Milroe a third-round draft choose earlier this spring may take into consideration shifting on from Darnold as quickly as subsequent offseason.
