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Sam Darnold
QB · SEA

Sam Darnold

Position QB
Team SEA
Bye Week 11
PPR Rank #137

Sam Darnold

NFL player. Position: QB. Team: SEA.

Quick Facts

  • Position: QB
  • Team: SEA (Seattle Seahawks)
  • Bye week (2026): 11
  • FantasyPros PPR rank (pulled 2026-05-21): 137

2026 Outlook

Darnold returns for his second Seahawks season under the same Kyle Shanahan-based offensive system, but with a new voice at OC: Brian Fleury, whom Darnold knows from his 2023 season in San Francisco as the 49ers' backup. Fleury spent seven years with San Francisco and is well-versed in the Shanahan system that stems from Mike Shanahan's 1990s Denver offenses—the exact lineage Kubiak also ran (per Seahawks going to the 49ers for new OC; Seattle's QB coach going to Raiders). This familiarity should smooth the transition from Kubiak and preserve the offensive continuity that powered Seattle's Super Bowl run. Critically, the Seahawks retained OL coach John Benton with a promotion to senior offensive assistant—a retention of the coach most responsible for the team's dramatic offensive line improvement in 2025 (declared by GM John Schneider as the team's most improved unit). Benton's mastery of the outside-zone blocking system provides continuity in execution (per Mike Macdonald's 2026 Seahawks coaching staff, and how they kept John Benton).

Fleury emphasized continuity in his first media appearances: "There's not many things to fix" and the offense will look "very similar to the one that just won the Super Bowl." Both Fleury and Macdonald aligned on maintaining the "fast, violent, aggressive" culture and principles (per Brian Fleury's, Mike Macdonald's theme for new Seahawks OC: Continuity in style). New QB coach Tyson Prince, promoted from assistant WR coach, brings fresh developmental perspective; Jake Peetz returns as pass-game coordinator with added QB coaching duties (per Mike Macdonald's 2026 Seahawks coaching staff, and how they kept John Benton). However, a potential shift to a two-back approach (49ers ran two-back 45% vs Seahawks' prior 24%) may modestly reduce Darnold's pass volume but should stabilize overall offensive execution. Darnold's mid-season improvement on short/mid-range improvised plays suits Fleury's system. First-time play-caller status is mitigated by Fleury's intensive film preparation and diverse NFL experience (Bills, Browns, Dolphins, 49ers).

Darnold's Super Bowl-winning 2025 season stands as a powerful example of how early draft-season skepticism about QB prospects is often wrong. Despite a previously doubted resume entering the Seahawks system, he led Seattle to a championship—a stark reminder that the draft's loudest voices often miss badly on QB evaluations. (per Fernando Mendoza should be doubted -- and 'perfect' QB can prove haters wrong by beating Dan Orlovsky)

At OTAs in early June, Darnold confirmed the smooth transition: "Thankfully it hasn't been too much of a transition...It's a lot of the same stuff...but a couple different wrinkles here and there" (per 10 first-year NFL coordinators under most pressure in 2026).

Vikings regret narrative (June 11): Zone Coverage's analysis of the Vikings' current QB competition suggests the team may regret letting Darnold walk to Seattle. Darnold's 2025 Super Bowl win with the Seahawks contrasts sharply with J.J. McCarthy's regression in 2025, raising the question: if the Vikings had held a real competition between Darnold and McCarthy (instead of prioritizing McCarthy), Darnold likely would have won. The Vikings chose McCarthy's "upside" over Darnold's "certainty," and it didn't work out. Now facing a similar split-reps inefficiency between Murray and McCarthy, the Vikings are repeating a strategic mistake. Darnold's Super Bowl success proves that the Vikings' 2024 decision to let him walk was a miscalculation. (per The Kyler Murray Situation Highlights A Sam Darnold Mistake) His comfort level with Fleury's system and approach validates the coaching continuity strategy.

Fleury's past experience as a TE coach may shift the offensive approach toward multi-TE sets. The article notes Fleury "would love the ability to use different personnel groups" and that previous Kubiak years saw two-or-more TE usage on 43% of plays. Under Fleury, weeks with matchup-specific game planning could increase TE deployment, which might slightly reduce overall pass volume for Darnold compared to Kubiak's 2025 approach. This remains a modest risk for fantasy owners given the offense's balance between run and pass (per The Seahawks may be an offense to approach with caution in Fantasy Football with Klint Kubiak now in Vegas).

CBS Sports' mid-summer QB tier ranking placed Darnold in "Borderline Stars" — Tier 2 — noting that "Darnold delivered a Pro Bowl 2024 season with the Vikings, and he reached the mountaintop with Seattle in 2025. He begins the 2026 season as the starting quarterback for the defending Super Bowl champions." The ranking reflects acknowledgment of his proven success, though it stops short of placing him in the elite tier (per Ranking NFL starting quarterbacks by tiers ahead of the 2026 season).

However, a CBS Sports predictive model identifies Darnold as a potential 2026 bust. The model notes that while his on-field impact is undeniable, it doesn't translate to fantasy production. The Seahawks play in a run-first offense (ranked 3rd in rushing attempts, 29th in pass attempts), which caps his ceiling. Additionally, Darnold led the NFL with 20 turnovers in 2025 (6 lost fumbles, 14 INTs) and provides minimal rushing value (under 100 yards, 0 TDs). The loss of Kenneth Walker III means defenses may stack the run more, further limiting Darnold's pass opportunities. The model projects him as QB20 in 2026, down from QB14 in 2025. (per Fantasy football rankings 2026: Sleepers, breakouts, busts by model that predicted...)

Role / Depth Chart

Starter for Seattle. Signed to a five-year, fully guaranteed contract in 2025.

Injury Status

Healthy entering 2026.

Recent News

Open Questions

(scoped to this player — pulled from Fantasy Football Open Questions)

Coaches shaping Sam's role

Mike MacdonaldHead CoachBrian FleuryOffensive CoordinatorJake PeetzOffensive Passing Game Coordinator/QuarterbacksKarl ScottDefensive Passing Game Coordinator/Defensive BacksJohn BentonSenior Offensive Assistant/Offensive LineQuinshon OdomAssistant Offensive LineTyson PrinceQuarterbacks Coach

What the Experts Are Saying

Matt HarmonWhat WRs To Trust In The First Rounds Of Drafts
Establish The RunWay Too Early 2026 Fantasy Football Mock Draft
Fantasy Points Fantasy FootballDrake Maye and Puka Nacua | Fantasy Football Takeaways to Prep for 2026 (Part 1)