When the Seattle Seahawks take the field against the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday, there’s more than just playoff positioning on the line - there’s a bit of personal history playing out under center. Sam Darnold, now leading the Seahawks, will be facing the team he suited up for just a season ago.
And as it turns out, the decision to leave Minnesota wasn’t about money. It was about opportunity.
According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, both the Vikings and Seahawks offered Darnold comparable deals this past offseason - three years, $100.5 million. But the key difference wasn’t in the numbers.
It was in the path forward. Seattle offered Darnold something every quarterback covets: clarity.
A clean shot at being “the guy,” without a first-round rookie waiting in the wings.
Minnesota, on the other hand, had already invested heavily in J.J. McCarthy, their first-round pick from the 2024 draft.
That kind of investment doesn't just sit quietly on the bench. Even if Darnold had re-signed, he’d have been looking over his shoulder all year, knowing the franchise’s future was already in the building.
So Darnold took the offer that gave him the clearest runway - and so far, it looks like the right call.
Through the 2025 season, Darnold has helped steer the Seahawks into serious contention for the NFC’s top seed. He’s not just managing games - he’s commanding them.
The offense is clicking, and his leadership has been a stabilizing force in Seattle’s locker room. It’s the kind of resurgence that reminds us why he was a top-three pick to begin with.
Meanwhile, Minnesota has spent the season trying to figure out exactly what they have in McCarthy. The rookie has shown flashes, but consistency has been elusive.
The growing pains are real, and the Vikings' offense has struggled to find rhythm week to week. It’s the kind of transitional year that often comes with turning the keys over to a young quarterback - but that doesn’t make it any easier to watch for a team that was on the playoff bubble just a year ago.
To be clear, Minnesota’s decision wasn’t necessarily wrong. When you draft a quarterback in the first round, you have to commit to developing him.
That means giving him reps, even if it costs you wins in the short term. But it also meant they couldn’t offer Darnold the kind of stability he was looking for - and ultimately found - in Seattle.
Now, as Darnold prepares to face his former team, there’s no bitterness. Just a quarterback who bet on himself and found the right fit. And on Sunday, he’ll have the chance to show Minnesota exactly what they let walk out the door.