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NFL - The Athletic fantasy football takes on Sam Darnold
Every source-backed article insight STACKED has extracted from NFL - The Athletic about Sam Darnold.
7
Insights
3
Positive
4
Negative
Insight ledger
All NFL - The Athletic insights about Sam Darnold
NegativeInjurySep 10, 2026
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald indicated uncertainty about Darnold's availability for Week 2 against Arizona, stating 'I don't know yet' on his status. Macdonald added that he is 'kind of thinking Drew (Lock) is going to play,' suggesting the team is preparing for Darnold's absence and planning to start Lock in Week 2.NegativeInjurySep 10, 2026
The source indicates Sam Darnold's injury status is critical to the Seahawks' Super Bowl repeat chances; if he can avoid missing significant time and return in a month or less, the team can survive the absence.NegativeInjurySep 10, 2026
Sam Darnold suffered an injury that threatened to spoil the Seahawks' festivities at Lumen Field, forcing him out of the game.NegativeInjurySep 10, 2026
Sam Darnold was lost in the first quarter of the Seahawks' season opener against the Patriots, forcing Seattle to play without their starting quarterback for the remainder of the game.PositiveRoleAug 4, 2026
Darnold has received exceptional support from his defense and special teams with Minnesota and Seattle over the past two seasons (8.0 EPA per start, leading among 33 qualifying quarterbacks). He ranks first among those quarterbacks in regular-season win rate with a 28-6 starting record (.824). An exec noted: "Sam is at his best when you run the ball, play defense and then he's not in position to turn the ball over, but when his number is called, he can make big plays. If they don't start running the football, they probably don't win the Super Bowl." A former GM defended Darnold's path: "People are too quick to quit on guys because it's easier to quit on them than take the heat and the bullets to stay with them when you're not winning and they are turning the ball over. The guy has always had the talent."PositiveProjectionAug 4, 2026
Darnold's climb over the past three seasons is rare for an established starter in the 13-year history of QB Tiers. His improvement from 4.00 to 2.36 is a full tier better than runner-up Daniel Jones among the 19 quarterbacks who appeared in all three surveys and debuted before 2024. A head coach stated: "Sam played his ass off the last two years." An exec explained: "There are so many factors that determine a quarterback's success, and Darnold's the best example of it. To get him into the right system, with the right coaches, and you have a game-breaking receiver, and a good defense. It's a lot easier."PositiveProjectionAug 4, 2026
Sam Darnold, the Seattle Seahawks' latest Super Bowl-winning quarterback, climbed into Tier 2, a significant rise in the survey rankings.