Sam Darnold’s uneven season has the Seattle Seahawks staring at a quarterback conversation they may not have expected to have this soon.
Darnold has flashed the kind of throws he’s known for, but the mistakes have come too, and they’ve been big ones. The issue, as it stands now, is that he isn’t consistently playing winning football. If that doesn’t change, Seattle could find itself looking for his replacement earlier than planned.
That replacement might be Arch Manning.
Not because Manning has lit up the 2026 season and forced his way into the very top of the draft. It’s the opposite.
His play has been described as underwhelming enough that he could slide down draft boards. That assumes, of course, that he leaves Texas after this season.
Manning is a junior, and he could still decide to return to the Longhorns for another year and improve his stock before making the jump.
If he does enter the 2027 NFL Draft, though, Seattle could be sitting in range.
Darnold is under contract through 2027, but teams often don’t wait until the last possible moment to address quarterback. They grab the next one before the need becomes urgent.
The Los Angeles Rams did exactly that this year when they took Ty Simpson in the first round, even though Matthew Stafford remains their starter. Simpson, for them, is the future.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. currently has Manning as the sixth-rated quarterback in the 2027 class and No. 24 overall. If the Seahawks keep heading in the wrong direction this season, a draft slot around 20th isn’t hard to imagine, especially with an early playoff exit in the picture.
Kiper’s quarterback group ahead of Manning includes Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker, Miami’s Darian Mensah, Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, and Missouri’s Austin Simmons. That order, as the source material makes clear, is far from settled.
Some of those passers are considered more NFL-ready than Manning, and Carr is specifically described that way. Still, the appeal for Seattle would be clear if Darnold remains on the roster and Manning is available. The veteran would have extra incentive to sharpen his play, and the rookie could spend a season learning the pace and force of the league before being asked to take over.
That developmental runway matters. Manning has the arm talent and running ability to be successful, but he also looks like a quarterback who needs time to grow into the pro game.
For now, the Seahawks’ ideal outcome is obvious: Darnold turns things around and the team stops needing this conversation. Based on how this season has gone, though, that hope doesn’t look especially realistic.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Tight End Problem They Can't Ignore
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The timing makes the situation more delicate because the Seahawks are also waiting on another key offensive update in running back Zach Charbonnet, who has been sidelined with an ACL injury. Even if Arroyos absence turns out to be manageable, Seattle is suddenly navigating depth concerns at multiple spots, and what happens next at tight end could shape how the offense handles the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Defense Has One Frustrating Flaw Fans Can't Ignore
The Seahawks have spent enough time around the top of the league conversation defensively to know where the frustration is coming from. But the red-zone numbers have become impossible to overlook, with Seattle allowing touchdowns on 75% of opponents' red-zone drives this season, a sharp drop from last year's 50%. In the overtime loss to Denver, that issue surfaced again when the Broncos finished both of their red-zone chances with touchdowns, leaving Seattle to chase the game in a spot where its defense has usually been expected to hold firm.
Brock Huard added to the criticism after the game, pointing to specific plays where the Seahawks failed to keep Denver out of the end zone. For a unit with bigger ambitions, the concern is not just the single loss but the pattern underneath it, one that keeps showing up in the tightest moments and keeps turning strong defensive stretches into costly breakdowns. Until that changes, Seattle's defense will keep inviting the same uncomfortable questions. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Are Taking A Chance On An Overlooked Run Game Fix
The Seahawks added a couple of familiar-looking pieces to the practice squad this week, signing undrafted rookie fullback Jackson Acker and tight end Josiah Deguara. It is the kind of move that usually flies under the radar in midseason, but for a team still looking for answers in the run game, it stands out as more than just roster churn.
Acker brings the sort of size and speed that can matter in short-yardage and in creating cleaner paths for the backs, which is part of why Seattle is taking a look. The broader issue has been the Seahawks' recent rushing struggles, and the team may be hoping this new mix of personnel can give them another option as they map out what the ground game looks like in upcoming games. [Read more 🡒]