After trading Geno Smith, the Seahawks signed Sam Darnold to lead the offense a seeing how well it went for him in Minnesota in 2024. Seattle was hoping for a fresh spark, but the offensive debut didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard. The Silver and Blue looked anything but comfortable during their 17-13 loss against the San Francisco 49ers.

Even the running game never quite took off. The promise of a solid ground attack faded quickly, leaving the offense limp. More striking, the passing game revolved around just one weapon: Jaxon Smith-Njigba. And Darnold didn’t shy away from explaining the lopsided target share. “It just happened to be that way. I’m just going through my progressions, going through my reads, and 58% of the time it told me to go to Jax. That’s just how it worked out,” Darnold said.

While Darnold feels it’s the natural flow of the game. Still, it didn’t stop critics from questioning the offense’s one-dimensional look. Of course, Smith-Njigba proved why he earned Darnold’s trust. The third-year wideout hauled in the bulk of targets, racking up 124 receiving yards — his second-best career total — in the Seahawks’ home opener loss.

Meanwhile, no other player on Seattle’s roster cracked 15 receiving yards. The message seemed loud and clear: Jaxon is Darnold’s go-to guy for now. Expect this favoritism to continue until the Seahawks prove otherwise. Because, yes, Darnold is also not happy with his teammates.

Looking ahead, Darnold remains realistic about the upcoming challenges. “A lot of games are different. Sometimes they’re going to do things to take Jax, take Coop, take some other guys away from us. Other guys gotta be on their p’s and q’s in terms of being able to beat 1-on-1 coverage. That’s what we’re looking at this week. It’s going to be a fun challenge for us,” he said confidently. However, as he prepares to chase a W in Week 2, there’re trade rumors swirling louder than ever.

Sam Darnold’s future in Seattle might end?

Interestingly, Sam Darnold’s $100.5 million, three-year deal seemed like a solid start when he joined the Seahawks. But not everyone is sold on Darnold as the answer under center. Sports Illustrated’s Thomas Carelli recently threw a curveball suggesting a blockbuster trade that would send Darnold and a big haul to Miami in exchange for Tua Tagovailoa.

But his proposed deal doesn’t stop at swapping quarterbacks. The Seahawks would also send two first-round picks (2026, 2027) and a third rounder (2027) to the Dolphins. Carelli argued it makes some sense with Seattle’s new offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, who favors a run-to-pass system. Carelli pointed out: “Tua Tagovailoa is still a solid quarterback when healthy” and noted that the short-pass-heavy scheme could unlock big plays for Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, while Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet carry the load on the ground.

However, that excitement quickly fades when you look deeper. Tagovailoa’s injury history raises major red flags, having missed six games last season alone and struggling with multiple concussions. His massive four-year, $212 million contract runs through 2028, making this swap less appealing.

Ultimately, while Tua had his best season in 2023 — throwing for 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns — the risk of investing heavily in him seems too big. Because even in his best season he threw for 14 picks. If anything, the smarter play might be Seattle chasing a first-round QB in the draft, rather than betting big on a trade.