Darnold led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl win last season, but how are his weapons shaping up ahead of 2026?
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold squashed a lot of narratives that were surrounding him in 2025, leading the NFC West franchise to a Super Bowl win.
And how he did it was good viewing, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba having an All-Pro year, while Kenneth Walker was the lead running back, powering through defenses all season long.
Then there was the emergence of such, of tight end AJ Barner in just his second NFL season, posting 519 yards and 6 TDs to become a good passing option for Darnold.
But as we know, each offseason, the winds of change blow through NFL rosters and their make-up for the following year can look different, and that has happened to Seattle.
The only big change is Walker, who is now with the Kansas City Chiefs. Other than that, it is as you were for the Seahawks.
But when ranking Darnold's supporting cast against the rest of the NFL, including rookie Jadarian Price, Barner, and JSN, where does ESPN's Bill Barnwell have the trio?
As it turns out, likely not as high as many would have thought, coming in at No. 11.
"Behind Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks are hoping for a second playmaker to step up," Barnwell wrote. "AJ Barner was a reliable pair of hands at tight end and caught seven touchdown passes, but the drop-off from Smith-Njigba to the rest of the receiving attack is too significant to rank the Seahawks any higher.
"Jadarian Price will step in, but after being a backup to Jeremiyah Love during their time at Notre Dame, can the Seahawks really count on Price to be their lead back while Zach Charbonnet is sidelined by his torn ACL? Price's limited role as a receiver in college (18 career catches) makes me wonder whether he tops out as a two-down back at the pro level."
So not even in the top 10, and I think it's because Price is a rookie and Barner is still seen as an up-and-coming tight end.
Still, there is plenty of room for growth for the trio, with Price set to be the lead back for offensive coordinator Brian Fleury, with Zach Charbonnet still recovering from his ACL injury.
Barner feels like he's ready to take that next step in his development, and with Fleury's work with tight ends in San Francisco, it makes sense.
But do the Seahawks deserve to be ranked a little higher here?
For me, it feels about right, given there is a lot of unknown about Darnold's weapons outside of JSN, and depending on how the season goes, this group could be ranked far higher this time next year.
