In his introductory news conference with the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, Sam Darnold flashed his conversational footwork.
Darnold was the No. 1 available quarterback heading into free agency after winning 14 games with the Minnesota Vikings.
He was expected to have a strong market, but after the Vikings could not find a partner for a tag-and-trade, there was speculation the interest might not be there and he could return to Minnesota on a below-market deal.
The Seahawks ultimately came through with a compelling offer for Darnold, a three-year, $100.5 million deal.
But when asked if he had a desire to return to Minnesota, Darnold did not get into specifics about his negotiations with his former team, sidestepping the question instead.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
“We were kind of looking at all possibilities, to be honest, and I’m just very happy that all roads led to Seattle,” Darnold said on March 13.
Darnold has offered praise to the Vikings organization in interviews before, but in front of his new team, he kept his thoughts present with what was quite a distant answer.
Less than three months ago, Darnold’s Vikings teammates hoisted him in the air after he threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-25 win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 17, setting up a division title-deciding season finale with the Detroit Lions.
Darnold was pushing himself into MVP conversation after that game and making a strong case for the Vikings to keep him.
But after a 31-9 meltdown in Detroit and a season-ending 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs, Darnold came back down to earth after what was otherwise a redefining season for his career.
Now, Darnold reunites with Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who was Darnold’s passing game coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023.
