Darnold came to Seattle looking to prove himself, and now, as a Super Bowl-winner, are the Seahawks set long-term at the position?
When the Seattle Seahawks moved for Sam Darnold, it was seen as a big risk for the franchise, but it turned out to be the best thing for both parties.
Darnold led the Seahawks to a 14-3 record and a Super Bowl win in 2025, and now, it appears that Seattle has its franchise quarterback.
With still two years left on his contract, the Seahawks have some control over where they go at the position.
But as we know, things can change drastically, and with Darnold having no guaranteed money left on his deal after the 2026 season, a big decision could be coming down the pipeline for Seattle.
With Sam currently at $33.5 million APY, that is rather cheap given the current market, so the franchise could have Darnold for next to nothing over the next two seasons.
But could they be looking at a potential replacement?
Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox has put Seattle in the "Probably Not In the QB Market Until 2028 or Later" tier when discussing each team's quarterback situation.
"The Seattle Seahawks just won the Super Bowl with Sam Darnold, and they can comfortably let him play out the final two years of his contract before making any big-picture decisions," Knox wrote.
In truth, given what Darnold accomplished in 2025, you wouldn't begrudge him or his agent for going to the Seahawks and asking for a new, long-term deal.
Darnold earned it, and the Super Bowl ring certainly carries weight in any contract negotiation, so when the time does come up for Sam and Seattle to talk about his future, it is going to be a costly exercise.
While Darnold proved all the doubters wrong last season, the pressure is on as defending Super Bowl champs to still be at the top of their game. For Darnold, he needs to show that last season wasn't a fluke and put together back-to-back good seasons.
But in truth, it won't really matter as he has already gotten the franchise to a Super Bowl, so there should be a little leeway.
And as far as Seattle's long-term plans at the quarterback position, it's Darnold's until further notice.