Is the Seattle Seahawks going to treat Sam Darnold the same way the Vikings did? Sam had his career’s best season, nevertheless, the Vikings did not give him another shot. One way to put this is that they dropped the veteran QB as they’re ready to roll into this season with their young QB, J.J. McCarthy. Darnold found a home with the Seahawks after they traded their QB, Geno Smith, to the Raiders. Mike McDaniel‘s team immediately filled the void by signing Sam. But what if the Seahawks draft a fresh talent out of college to give the veteran QB a little competition?

Analysts have already dropped multiple mock drafts with 17 days left until the 2025 draft. In the latest episode of ‘Mock Draft,’ sports and draft analyst Chad Reuter presented the top two ideal picks for all 32 franchises. So far, for Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks, Reuter projects the team to draft Quinn Ewers in round two with the 50th overall pick.

Ewers plays for the Texas Longhorns and hopes to make his NFL debut this year. The 22-year-old isn’t one of the top prospects in this QB class. But there are a few franchises in the mix that could potentially pick the aspiring NFLer.

Chad writes, “Ewers is an ideal Seahawks pick, given his physical traits. I could also see them moving up for him, considering the number of other teams that are also likely to be in search of Day 2 quarterbacks. Could he even be this era’s Russell Wilson to Darnold’s Matt Flynn?”

If we take a trip down memory lane, the Seahawks were in a similar position back in 2012 as well. Tarvaris Jackson was traded to the Bills, and Seattle signed Matt Flynn to a three-year deal. Later in the draft, the team picked Russell Wilson in the third round. Wilson outperformed Flynn and, in his rookie year, took on the QB1 role. Now, could the same happen to Sam Darnold, too? That’s what Chad Reuter is projecting.

It looks like if the Seahawks do consider drafting a QB by the end of the month, Darnold’s hold on the QB1 spot could be far from secure. Somehow, his deal kind of suggests that the team might go through that route.

Sam Darnold’s QB1 spot: Secure or shaky?

“Sam Darnold signed a middle-of-the-road starter deal that does not include any guaranteed money after 2026, per Over the Cap,” writes Chad Reuter. Now, if we look at Sam’s contract, the QB signed a three-year deal worth $100.5 million. The Seahawks have more flexibility in Darnold’s contract than him.

The team can choose to part ways with him after one season, having paid him $37.5 million. Truth be told, that’s what they did with Flynn as well. The team traded him to the Raiders after they found a long-term answer in Russell Wilson.

The second year of his contract is valued at $27.5 million, but a safety net exists: if Darnold gets injured, $17.5 million of that amount becomes guaranteed. This means the $17.5 million only becomes fully guaranteed if he suffers an injury. This guarantee kicks in right after the Super Bowl.

So, while this clause protects Darnold financially if he injures himself, the team does not guarantee his third year of the deal.

With that contract, it’s clear the Seahawks may not view Sam Darnold as their long-term answer. This opens up the possibility that they could select a quarterback in the draft. If Texas’s Quinn Ewers gets on board, Darnold will have to fight for the QB1 spot. And if Ewers becomes Russell Wilson 2.0, will the Seahawks show Darnold the door?

Well, there’s still time to find out. But we’ll find out soon enough if Seattle sticks with their veteran QB or looks to their future.