Presenting a phantom barstool debate among Seahawks fans: the mystery of Sam Darnold
Imagine the corner bar conversations among 12’s about the signing of Sam Darnold to be the Seahawks’ new starting quarterback.
Some are no doubt excited because they never thought much of Geno Smith. Or maybe it’s because they think the 27-year-old Darnold has a higher ceiling than Geno, who at 34 has already established his, and it’s lower than expected.
Then again, the fan over by the pool table wearing the Steve Largent jersey thinks it was a terrible acquisition because the last two times we saw Darnold, he looked like he didn’t even belong in the NFL, much less warrant being paid $100 million to play in it.
“How good can this guy be if this is his fifth team in seven years?” the Largent fan says. “That’s a classic definition of a journeyman who hasn’t panned out and never will.”
Mr. and Mrs. Seahawk are at the end of the bar and snap back, saying Darnold was mostly sensational with the Vikings last year, leading Minnesota to a team record 14 wins by throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns.
“Didn’t you see him pass for 377 yards against the Packers and 347 yards with five TDs against the Falcons?” asks Mrs. Seahawk. “And remember late last year, he rallied the Vikings to a comeback win over the Seahawks at Lumen Field? I sure do, I started to cry and my caked-on makeup ran all over the place.”
“Yeah, I saw all of it, every minute of it,” says Big Lo, who surprisingly shows up at the bar without his SEA-FENCE props. “But if he’s so good, why did he flame out when it counted most? With the NFC’s No. 1 seed on the line, he stunk up the joint going 18 for 41 with no touchdown passes against the Lions in the last game of the season. Then he followed it up with a one-and-done playoff performance against the Rams, getting sacked nine times and losing a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. Is that the same guy you’re raving about?”
“You’re right, Lo!” says the Sea Hulk, looking as buff as ever. “If he’s so damn good, why did the Vikings let him go? They went 14 and 3! And a lot of that had to do with Darnold.”
“But they drafted J.J. McCarthy to be their franchise quarterback,” says Mr. Seahawk, sticking up for his wife. “And he got hurt in the preseason so they had to go with Darnold.”
“Yeah, but you can’t count on any rookie to tear it up in his first season, especially one coming off an injury,” says the Largent fan after sinking a nice bank shot on the 5-ball in the corner pocket. “And did you really see a future NFL star when you watched that kid at Michigan?”
“He was good enough to beat the hell out of Washington and prevent the Huskies from winning a national championship,” says a Coug fan in a Ryan Leaf jersey who is clearly hammered. “That was fun to see the Dawgs go down like that.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?” asks Mr. Seahawk. “We’re talking about Darnold and the Seahawks, you idiot.”
“Who’s the idiot, me or you, a fan who’s still dressing up in stupid costumes every Sunday when you’re 60 years old. What’s the matter with you anyway, get a life pal!”
“Hey, hey, hey, stop it you guys, I think we can all agree it was a little surprising that the Vikings just flat out kicked Darnold to the curb,” says the Largent fan. “Plus if he hadn’t played poorly in the last two games, he would have wanted $50 million a year, and the Seahawks would have never given him that.”
“You’re right,” says Big Lo as he throws a dart and hits the triple 20, exactly what he was aiming for. “I like to think ol’ Sammy boy will play like he did in that Rose Bowl for the Trojans. What a game! Threw for 453 yards and five TDs and smoked Penn State.”
“Sure, he’s got that in him,” says Mr. Seahawk, gathering himself after being figuratively floored by the inebriated Coug. “But I’m a little worried about that comment he made when he was with the Jets.”
“Oh yeah, that game against the Patriots in 2019 when he threw four interceptions and lost a fumble and said he was seeing ghosts,” says the Largent fan. “Sure hope those ghosts don’t come back to haunt him here.”
“He’s also the guy who came to Pullman and lost a game-deciding fumble on a wonderful Friday night at Martin Stadium after being blind-sided by Jihad Woods,” says the plastered Coug after ordering a double shot of Jack.
“Really think you need another drink?” asks Big Lo.
“Yes,” says the Coug.
Trying to make sense of it all, the Sea Hulk finishes an impromptu set of sit-ups on the beer-splattered floor and says: “Given the way Darnold’s career has gone, it’s bound to be a mixed bag with the Seahawks. He’ll be terrific on some Sundays and why-in-the-world-did-we-sign-him on others. He projects to be a younger version of Geno, the latest place-holder until they find an actual franchise quarterback in the draft.”
With that, they all nod their heads and leave the bar, preparing for many unknowns to come in the Sam Darnold Era with the Seahawks.
Jim Moore has covered Washington’s sports scene from every angle for multiple news outlets. He appears Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10 a.m. on Jason Puckett’s podcast at PuckSports.com. He writes a Substack blog at jimmoorethego2guy.substack.com. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) @cougsgo.
This story was originally published March 18, 2025 at 11:43 AM.