PHOENIX — Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider’s eyes lit up when I asked about his team’s prized quarterback, Sam Darnold.
In my conversation with Schneider, he emphasized the belief that the USC product has more to show entering his second season in Seattle.
That’s right. Even after leading a different team to a 14-win season that included a run to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in his first year with the Seahawks, Schneider said Darnold having a second offseason under head coach Mike Macdonald and getting more comfortable in the offense will lead to even more efficient performances on game days.
“Yeah, I know it’s crazy to say that because he won 14 games last year,” Schneider told me, while posted up at a cozy table at the Arizona Biltmore hotel. “But we’ve always said Sam is just a football player. When you take the quarterbacking out of it – all the quarterback schools and stuff that you go to – he’s just a football player.”
What do you mean by football player, John?
“It means the quarterback isn’t separated from the rest of the team,” Schneider said. “He’s one of the guys. And that means he’s a great leader.”
Schneider expects Darnold to create even better chemistry with playmakers like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed and Cooper Kupp by taking more on-field reps. And that’s something we should get an up-close view of, with the Seahawks set to appear on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” for the first time this year.
Yes, offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak left to become the head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders. But the Seahawks replaced Kubiak with San Francisco 49ers run game coordinator and tight ends coach Brian Fleury, who coached with Kubiak and established a rapport with Darnold during their time together in San Francisco.
So, the bottom line is the offense remains the same for Darnold.
“He’s going to be that much more comfortable from being around his team,” Schneider told me. “Just his relationship with Coop and Rashid. Like, Rashid came in during the season, so that takes a minute to build chemistry. He gets another year with Jax (Smith-Njigba), and we have a really cool tight end group — [Elijah] Arroyo and [A.J.] Barner did a terrific job.
“He can play even higher.”
Schneider will lean on his expertise in reaching back-to-back Tremendous Bowls throughout Pete Carroll’s tenure in replenishing his crew’s roster to defend final season’s convincing Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots.
Nonetheless, Schneider didn’t wish to present how that plan might be executed.
“Yeah, tons of classes discovered,” a coy Schneider instructed me. “However I don’t wish to get into specifics as a result of I don’t wish to inform individuals what we’re doing. However yeah, we discovered lots via that course of.”
Since Schneider is being a bit elusive, right here’s what he told me about that time four years ago. Schneider stated he felt that the Seahawks bought away from the crew’s core rules of buying quick, younger, hungry athletes and letting them compete.
“[It was] us not likely doing a terrific job of bringing some guys in that had been aggressive sufficient to say, ‘I’m going to take Earl Thomas’ job.’ Or, ‘I’m going to go take Sherm’s [Richard Sherman’s] job.’” Schneider instructed me in 2022. “We bought into a pair courses there the place we discovered these guys had been Russell Wilson on Madden, or they had been taking part in Kam Chancellor on Madden. And now they’re in a room with him and it is like, ‘Oh s—, that’s Kam Chancellor.’ As an alternative of claiming, ‘I’m going to go try to take his job.’
“So, studying from our errors and understanding it’s extra concerning the make-up and character of the particular person or the person, the grit and the self-confidence that they’ve. Simply actually attempting to deal with that.”
The Seahawks will definitely want some gamers with the mentality Schneider’s on the lookout for coming into 2026. They created some scuttlebutt in league circles by letting some fairly good gamers signal with different groups in free company. That checklist contains Tremendous Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III signing a three-year, $45 million take care of the Kansas City Chiefs; security Coby Bryant inking a three-year, $40 million take care of the Chicago Bears; edge rusher Boye Mafe agreeing to a three-year, $60 million take care of the Cincinnati Bengals and Riq Woolen signing a one-year, $12 million contract to affix the Philadelphia Eagles.
Defensive backs Coby Bryant and Riq Woolen had been two of the notable gamers to depart the Seahawks this offseason. (Picture by Steph Chambers/Getty Photographs)
As an alternative of creating an enormous splash in free company to switch these misplaced property, Schneider centered on re-signing his personal gamers (Shaheed, cornerback Josh Jobe) and outdoors free brokers on manageable offers, like working again Emanuel Wilson and cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, to compete for jobs made accessible by the misplaced expertise to different groups.
However as key contributors left Seattle this offseason, Schneider has additionally recognized the Seahawks’ core items. He just lately signed the perfect participant on his crew, Smith-Njigba, to a four-year, $168.6 million deal, making him the highest-paid receiver in league history. Conserving the younger and elite performer round ensures that Darnold may have his safety blanket on the roster for the foreseeable future.
And with Darnold on a three-year, $100.5 million deal, Schneider doesn’t have to fret about negotiating a brand new take care of his beginning quarterback this offseason.
“It’s large due to the competitor and particular person he’s,” Schneider instructed me concerning the Smith-Njigba signing. “The way in which he handles his enterprise, there’s zero issues. He simply exhibits up day-after-day and acts like he’s been there earlier than.”
Schneider must dig deep within the draft, although, to search out some instant assist this offseason. The Seahawks solely have 4 alternatives on this yr’s draft, though they do have their very own choose in every of the primary three rounds.
Nonetheless, as a result of the 2027 draft class is taken into account deeper than this yr’s group, Schneider is trying to load up for 2027. Seattle is projected to have 4 compensatory picks in 2027 as a result of misplaced gamers in free company. Together with these projected alternatives, the Seahawks are anticipated to have 12 picks in 2027.
Together with signing Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks are additionally anticipated to increase the contract of fellow 2023 first-round choose Devon Witherspoon in some unspecified time in the future this offseason. And the Seahawks have already signed offensive tackles Charles Cross and Abe Lucas, guaranteeing that a lot of the offensive expertise round Darnold is again for an additional season.
Schneider has pinpointed the foundational items for the crew at premium positions as they gear as much as chase one other Tremendous Bowl.
“It’s about figuring out what your foundational items are, and what the panorama appears to be like like at sure positions,” Schneider instructed me. “It’s not about these guys specifically [that we lost in free agency], it’s concerning the place and should you can change them or not.
“Clearly, these guys are distinctive individuals. And we’re not going to have the ability to change the individuals. However these are positions we all know we’re going to have to handle. And we felt like from a depth standpoint and what different choices are on the market that we might to try this. We now have a cool combine on our roster now of younger guys who’ve by no means hit free company earlier than, and now a bunch that’s hitting free company for the primary time. And also you noticed it with Jax.”
