Sam Darnold spent the 2025 season giving the Seahawks exactly what they needed most when the pressure cranked up. That clutch play helped push Seattle all the way to a Super Bowl 60 title, and it also turned Darnold into one of the NFL’s best offseason values on a three-year, $100.5 million deal.
Pro Football Focus backed up that impact with a new analytics-driven clutch metric, and Darnold landed all the way at No. 4 among quarterbacks. He finished ahead of Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, a strong sign that Seattle got far more than just a competent starter.
PFF’s metric is built to measure quarterback performance in high-stakes moments, leaning on player grades and advanced data to isolate how passers perform when the game is on the line. In those situations, Darnold’s profile stood out.
"The Seahawks quarterback posted just a 0.89% turnover-worthy play rate, generating seven big-time throws against just one turnover-worthy play across 103 clutch dropbacks," Mark Chichester wrote. " But his success wasn't simply about avoiding mistakes.
Darnold ranked among the NFL's top five quarterbacks in several key efficiency metrics, including accurate throw rate (73.3%, third), negatively graded play rate (8.9%, fifth) and yards per attempt (8.4, fifth). The combination of accuracy, efficiency and ball security helped produce one of the strongest clutch seasons of any quarterback in 2025."
That kind of production showed up all year for Seattle. It was also notable because clutch play was one of the questions surrounding Darnold when John Schneider brought him in to replace Geno Smith.
Instead, Darnold answered it. If he keeps delivering that level of poise in 2026, the Seahawks will have every reason to think another Super Bowl run is in play.
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Seahawks Just Got A Huge Offseason Signal From DeMarcus Lawrence
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Lawrence has also made clear he wants to keep building here, which matters for a defense that already treats him like a cornerstone. He has been working with players such as Derick Hall and Nick Emmanwori, and his influence has even helped Seattle in the veteran market, giving the Seahawks another layer of credibility as they try to stack talent around a group that still has room to grow. [Read more 🡒]