Last season was a whirlwind for Darnold, and now that he's in his second year, everyone is noticing the difference.
Entering last offseason, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold had a lot of questions to answer and a lot of narratives to squash.
After that horror playoff loss with the Minnesota Vikings, Sam came to Seattle with a lot of unknowns about him.
He had to prove himself again, learn a new system, and build chemistry with new teammates, and he did so well, helping orchestrate a Super Bowl win for Mike Macdonald.
But now he enters an offseason with no questions hanging over him, no narratives he has to squash; it's just all football for Darnold, and that, in theory, could see an even better version of Sam in 2026.
However, that is us talking.
What have his teammates seen from Darnold this offseason compared to last?
"Just his focus and execution each and every day," receiver Shahid Shaheed said. "He holds us to such a high standard, and he comes out here and performs at that standard every day. It just makes us want to feed off that energy. He's making great decisions. He's being decisive, and that's all we could ask from him, and he's been our leader, our captain, and that's what he's been."
So Darnold is move vocal and pushing the standards for his team.
Let's not forget: we often see a player take a step up in their level of play in their second season with a team. Granted, that's mostly for rookies, but Darnold now gets another year with the offensive line, tight ends, receivers, and coaching staff.
Yes, Brian Fleury is the new offensive coordinator, but with most of what Klint Kubiak used last year still in place, it is now about building on that foundation while incorporating some of the new wrinkles Fleury has brought in.
But Darnold is the centerpiece of the offense, and his return hasn't gotten the coverage it probably should have. He could be even more comfortable with this thing in 2026.
And usually when players are comfortable, their play goes up another level.
So, time will tell whether Darnold, who now has a clean slate for 2026, can take his game to another level, or even just be as good as last season.
Because, right now, it seems like he's in a groove with Seattle.
