Sam Darnold Must Be Better if Seahawks Plan on Repeating as Super Bowl Champions in 2026 Season
Sam Darnold was legitimately one of the best quarterbacks in the league in the 2024 and 2025 seasons. No quarterback won more games over that span, and Darnold threw for more than 4,000 yards in each season.
In 2025, Darnold was exactly the quarterback the Seahawks needed to win the Super Bowl. Darnold was efficient in the postseason and, when paired with an elite running game and defense, proved he’s good enough to win it all.
In 2026, things have yet to look as solid as they did in previous seasons for Darnold. The quarterback got hurt in Week 1 and missed most of that game and Week 2. Drew Lock was excellent filling in, leading the Seahawks to two wins. Then, Darnold came back in Week 3, and despite throwing for a career-high in yards, Darnold’s multiple turnovers cost Seattle a win.
Since returning, the Seahawks are just 1-2 with Darnold at the helm. One off game is understandable, but Darnold now has five interceptions through three weeks. In Week 5, Darnold’s turnovers were killer, as the Seahawks ended up losing 32-29.
Darnold’s Mistakes Could Doom Seahawks
In the NFL, sloppy play and turnovers could cause you to lose to anybody. The Commanders’ only win of the season came against the Seahawks, so it’s not a stretch to say Seattle is in trouble if turnovers are going to remain a problem.
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Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report gave each quarterback a grade for their Week 5 performance. Darnold earned a C- after throwing for 195 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
“The bad ultimately outweighed the good from Sam Darnold’s latest performance. He led three scoring drives in the second half, which allowed the Seattle Seahawks to tie the San Francisco 49ers with under seven minutes to play,” Sobleski explained. “During Seattle’s final possession, Darnold completed two of five pass attempts, and the Seahawks turned the ball over on downs.”
As Sobleski mentioned, the bad has outweighed the good since Darnold has returned. Of course, it’s not just Darnold who is turning the ball over- George Holani and Emanuel Wilson both lost fumbles in Week 5, which certainly didn’t help.
Three games of turnovers, though, is officially enough of a trend to start being concerned. It’s hard to see the Seahawks repeating as Super Bowl champs if Darnold doesn’t clean it up.
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More on the Seattle Seahawks
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- Brian Fleury’s First-Down Play Calls Made Seahawks Offense Too Predictable
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This story was originally published October 13, 2026 at 12:42 PM.
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