Early Setbacks for Darnold in Seattle

The 2026 NFL season began on a rocky note for Sam Darnold, the starting quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks. After returning ahead of schedule from a rare glute tendon injury suffered more than a month ago against the New England Patriots, Darnold has struggled to regain his 2025 form.

Turnovers Prove Costly Against San Francisco

Darnold threw two interceptions during Sunday’s narrow 32-29 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, marking his third consecutive game with at least one pick. The defeat dropped the Seahawks to a 3-2 record, putting them two games behind San Francisco in the NFC West. Reflecting on his performance, Darnold acknowledged his decision-making and ball placement were issues, saying he needed to trust himself and take better care of the football.

Quarterback Performance: Comparing Past and Present

Throughout his nine-year NFL career, Darnold has thrown 87 interceptions in 104 games. However, since becoming the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 and then moving to Seattle, he had improved his efficiency. Darnold's touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2024 and 2025 stood at 2.31, above the league average of 2.11 for those seasons, according to TruMedia. This year, though, that number has slipped to 1.4 (seven touchdowns to five interceptions) over three games and five snaps from the opener.

His early 2026 statistics trail those from 2025 when he played all five games through Week 5: completion percentage has dropped from 73.1% to 64.3%; yards per attempt from 9.3 to 7.7; interception rate from 2.2% to 5.1%; and sack rate from 4.3% to 8.4%. Darnold is also being pressured more often (42.7% of dropbacks, up from 36.1%), with a greater share of those pressures resulting in sacks (19.1%, up from 11.3%).

New Coaching Staff and Offensive Struggles

This season, Darnold is again working with a new offensive coordinator and play caller, Klint Kubiak and Brian Fleury, both of whom he knows from his previous tenure with the 49ers. Head coach Mike Macdonald admitted that Seattle’s passing attack has not found its rhythm under Fleury, describing Darnold as a strong leader who has set the tone by taking accountability. Macdonald argued that this mentality could help the team as they strive to improve.

Lack of Rushing Attack Compounds Offensive Woes

The Seahawks’ ground game has also struggled. According to TruMedia, Seattle ranks last in the NFL in expected points added (EPA) on rushes (-40.5), impacted by injuries to Zach Charbonnet (out since January with a knee injury) and rookie Jadarian Price (on injured reserve with a chest injury). Charbonnet is unlikely to play Thursday against the Denver Broncos. Backups Emanuel Wilson and George Holani have been pressed into action, and both fumbled in Sunday’s game—contributing to four lost fumbles and significant negative EPA.

Through five games, Seattle ranks 17th in rushing yards (530), 20th in yards per carry (3.8), and 20th in success rate (34.8%). These outputs are similar to last year’s numbers, despite roster changes.

Bright Spots and Team Support

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has continued to shine as the team’s top wide receiver, leading the league with 583 receiving yards—49 yards more than his five-week total last season. Though the offense has struggled with turnovers (nine through five games, one more than last year), team leaders and players remain supportive of Darnold. Tight end Eric Saubert emphasized the team’s belief in their quarterback, describing him as their leader and noting the need for the offense to execute more consistently under Fleury’s play calling.

Looking Back and Ahead

Last season, the Seahawks rallied with wins in 14 of their final 15 games, culminating in a Super Bowl victory. Darnold finished with a solid 65% completion rate, 3,474 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and just 11 interceptions, plus a postseason without turnovers. As the 2026 season continues, the onus may fall on Darnold to help the offense bounce back, especially until the team can regain a consistent rushing attack.

"It’s a whole different year," Darnold said, emphasizing the need for urgency and improvement rather than comparisons to the past. The Seahawks and their quarterback now face the challenge of getting their offense—and their season—back on track.

Source: heraldnet.com.