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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold certainly turned heads after becoming a starter last offseason and winning the Super Bowl in his first year with his team.
However, there is still some doubt as to whether Darnold can become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Some of that is stemmed from his struggles in the past with the New York Jets early in his career, but he also threw 14 interceptions last season, which is a number that needs to be shaved down if he wants to be elite.
"Darnold's 82.5 PFN QB Impact Score marked a career high and ranked fifth in the NFL last season.
He's more prone to turnovers than you'd like, having thrown 26 interceptions over the last two years.
However, he has a strong arm and the right level of confidence you want in your franchise quarterback.
He's a gunslinger who's proven he can keep his team afloat against top competition," Pro Football Sports Network contributor Jacob Infante wrote.
Sam Darnold Needs to Take Care of the Football There's a sign that Darnold can cut down on his turnovers.
During the team's three games in the playoffs last season, Darnold did not throw an interception, which is a good sign of what's to come when the lights were brightest.
Darnold kept the ball in the offense's hands, but two of those games were at home.
Questions remain as to whether he can continue to take care of the ball when he goes out on the road next season.
Out of his 14 interceptions that he threw in 2025, nine of them were on the road.
There is also some reprieve knowing that six of his 14 interceptions came against one opponent, the Los Angeles Rams, but they will appear twice on Seattle's schedule again in 2026 in crucial Week 16 and 18 matchups.
On top of that, they have improved their secondary by adding Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Out of all starting quarterbacks in the league last season.
Only Geno Smith of the Las Vegas Raiders and Tua Tagovailoa from the Miami Dolphins threw more picks than Darnold.
The top MVP candidates, like Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye, each had eight interceptions.
If Darnold can cut his interception rate down, he might as well be one of the top MVP candidates in the league in 2026.
Jeremy Brener is an editor and writer for Seattle Seahawks On SI.
He has been covered the Seahawks since 2023.
He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism.
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