Seahawks GM John Schneider makes his feelings known on acquiring Sam Darnold for $100,500,000 after Geno Smith's trade to Raiders 

In March, quarterback Sam Darnold signed with the Seattle Seahawks following a one-season stint with the Minnesota Vikings. He was brought in as a replacement for Geno Smith, who ended up being traded to the Las Vegas Raiders. Darnold agreed to a three-year deal worth $100.5 million.

On Wednesday, Seahawks GM John Schneider made an appearance on John Middlekauf's "3 & Out" podcast. During the interview, Schneider was asked about the team's thought process in finalizing Darnold as their starting quarterback after Smith's departure:

"Sam, (Vikings head coach) Kevin O'Connell, you know, professional friend of mine. You know, Ryan Grigson is there now too in Minnesota. Rob Brzezinski, you're relying on your contacts and like the characters, the leader, everybody that's coached him over the years, and then watching his (Sam Darnold's) progression and watching him improve."

(from 41:48 mark onwards)

Schneider also said that they finalized on Darnold as their starting quarterback after he checked all the boxes on their requirement list:

"Yeah, that's where we've made some of our biggest mistakes. It's just not taking as much time as we possibly should with all the contacts that we have, right? So have we covered all of our bases, and have we checked all the boxes? And making sure that we're signing the appropriate person for our building."

(from 43:45 mark onwards)

Last season, Sam Darnold served as the Vikings' starting quarterback after J.J. McCarthy was out for the season due to an injury. The quarterback led the team to a 14-3 record and the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Darnold recorded a total of 4,319 yards and 35 TDs passing.

Before his stint with the Vikings, the New York Jets drafted Darnold with the No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL draft. He spent three seasons with them before playing two years for the Carolina Panthers and one season with the San Francisco 49ers.

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NFL insider expresses doubts over Sam Darnold's ability to lead Seahawks to success

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, not everyone is excited about Sam Darnold taking over as the starting quarterback of the Seahawks.

According to an anonymous NFL personnel director, Darnold has yet to prove his worth as an elite quarterback:

"Darnold and Geno to me are very similar, solidified starters but not in the top end. Geno has more of a track record as a passer, but Darnold threw 35 touchdowns last year. So if he can play close to how he did last year, that's a great situation and opportunity for him."

Apart from Sam Darnold, the Seahawks also utilized the 2025 NFL draft to get a quarterback. They acquired ex-Alabama star Jalen Milroe in the third round with the No. 92 pick.