It was the third quarter inside Lumen Field, and The 12s were rocking. The Seahawks had hammered out a 23-10 lead over the Chiefs with eight minutes left on the clock, and the noise matched the scoreboard. The star? Sam Darnold. After signing in the offseason, the veteran quarterback finally got his feet wet, running a 10-play possession that looked more like a statement than a warm-up.

Darnold didn’t sling the ball deep, instead playing it safe and smart with short strikes. His four passes carried air yards of minus-5, minus-1, 1, and 4. Still, efficiency ruled the night. He went a clean 4-for-4 for 34 yards, spreading the ball across four different targets. Fullback Robbie Ouzis hauled in a 13-yarder, tight end Elijah Arroyo grabbed one for 9, Jaxon Smith-Njigba collected 7, and AJ Barner chipped in with 5. While it wasn’t flashy, it was flawless.

Then came the reviews, and they were glowing. On NFL GameDay, Daniel Jeremiah broke it down in simple terms. “It looked very comfortable, and they made it very easy on him. I don’t know what the average depth of target was in the first half. It was not much. It was a lot of quick hitters for Sam. Get him in a rhythm. Get him comfortable. You can tell he’s not new to this system. This is not somebody that’s going to a new location, has a whole new system to learn. He’s very comfortable.” That word—comfortable—was exactly what Seattle fans wanted to hear.

However, Jeremiah didn’t stop there. He pointed out how the Seahawks tapped into Darnold’s mobility, moving him around to keep the Chiefs’ defense guessing. Short swings, perimeter throws, and yards after catch all blended into a seamless flow. As Jeremiah summed it up, “This is a nice marriage between scheme and player.” And in preseason football, that kind of chemistry is often the best sign of what’s to come.

And of course, the bigger picture explains why Seattle made the move. Last year in Minnesota, Sam Darnold completed 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 picks. That stat line earned him a three-year, $100.5 million deal with $55 million guaranteed after Seattle flipped Geno Smith to Raider Nation. If the O-line holds and the rhythm continues, The Emerald City could see the same high-level production that made the Vikings’ 2024 season roll. However, there are some doubts too.

Sam Darnold’s starting role already under fire in Seattle

The quarterback room in the Emerald City is buzzing with questions, and Sam Darnold sits right in the middle of it. He walked into Seattle with confidence but also with a target on his back. The pressure only grew when head coach Mike Macdonald addressed the chatter in June. “No, you guys are crazy. I respect that you’ve got to ask it. But it’s just a crazy question. It’s just not going to happen. Sam’s our starting quarterback.” While that sounded like full backing, the reality is that a new playbook, fresh coaches, and competition in camp will ultimately decide how long he keeps that spot.

At the same time, outside voices added more fuel. During NBC’s NFL coverage on August 13th, Jon Weiner casually dropped Darnold into his quarterback rankings. “All right, number four on this list, Sam Darnold.” Meanwhile, Chris Simms didn’t shy away from highlighting the challenge. “It’s going to be interesting to see what Sam does coming from Minnesota, going to Seattle. Leaves Kevin O’Connell now with a new offense, new coordinator, all that kind of stuff.”

Then came the kicker: “Jalen Milroe looked really, really good over the weekend. So I have Milroe replacing Darnold by week seven… Jalen Milroe is the kind of guy that’s going to get the fan base just frothing at the mouth.” His words drew a clear line—Darnold’s security depends on early-season results.

And the competition feels intense on the inside too. “The tolerance for mistakes is small.” Darnold is working through Macdonald’s system, timing with young receivers, and an unsettled backfield. But rookie Jalen Milroe is flashing. One league executive already hinted at the future, telling The Athletic’s Mike Sando, “I think Sam starts one year, and they go with the young kid.”

Ultimately, the stakes run deeper than just a starter’s tag. The Seahawks are reshaping their offense with a rebuilt line and young weapons. If Darnold steadies the ship, playoff hopes stay alive. But if he slips, Milroe could take over sooner than anyone expects, shifting the identity of The 12s’ team mid-season.