Darnold took nine sacks against the Seahawks’ division rival Los Angeles Rams during a Wild Card game loss when he played for the Minnesota Vikings. Despite the $100.5 million investment in Darnold by Seattle, the team may not have invested enough in protecting him as ESPN Seahawks insider Brady Henderson points out.

The Seahawks selected Miami’s Elijah Arroyo in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, a dynamic tight end who could quickly replace Noah Fant as a key offensive weapon.