After falling short of their season goals, the Seattle Seahawks made a significant roster change. They moved on from Geno Smith and signed Sam Darnold. The former Vikings quarterback’s arrival has many fans excited. Last season, Darnold proved himself as one of the league’s top quarterbacks. Following his arrival, head coach Mike Macdonald had encouraging words for his new signal-caller.
“I think Sam’s best days are ahead of him, and I think you’ve seen that through the course of his career, how he’s able to grow as a player…I think we are going to be really proud of our quarterback here. Then, obviously, as a football player and a quarterback, just a heck of a player. Just tough as nails from my opinion. You go through all the talent, we can talk about that until we are blue in the face,” stated Mike Macdonald on Sam Darnold.
Even, Mike even confessed his experience facing him last season: “Obviously gone against him in my career and here last year at Lumen (Field) against the Vikings. First of all, he’s just a tremendous human being. A great leader.” Also, he added that members of his roster have already had some prior experiences with Darnold highlighting his leadership and his personality.
The Vikings’ decision to replace Geno Smith was not based on his performance. Instead, they aimed to rejuvenate the quarterback position. Sam Darnold signed a three-year, $100 million contract to provide a reliable long-term option. However, the move carries some risk.
Darnold has yet to prove his performance ability consistently. Leading a team like the Seahawks will be a major test. Still, the move was a smart bet by the franchise. They found the perfect opportunity to refresh their roster without losing quality.
Sam Darnold reveals the player who most influenced his playing style
At his presentation with the Seattle Seahawks, Sam Darnold reflected on his early career. He also took a moment to mention a former teammate: “I really thank Brock Purdy a ton, for just his style of play and how he described his style. Like, we’ve got a lot of great playmakers on offense. My job is just to play point guard and get the ball in their hands and let them go do great things with the rock,” confessed Darnold.