A new report suggests Sam Darnold’s future with the Seattle Seahawks is in serious jeopardy if he doesn’t turn things around in 2026.

Darnold has been one of the true feel-good stories in the NFL over the last few years. The player selected by the New York Jets with the third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft was looking like just another first-round draft bust heading into the 2024 season. However, a unique opportunity emerged, and he made the most of it.

An injury to JJ McCarthy gave him the chance to start for the Minnesota Vikings, and he had a career year. Some chalked it up to a player shining just in time for a jump into free agency. However, after landing a three-year, $100.5 million deal from Seattle last year, he played at a Pro Bowl level again and helped lead the Seahawks to their second Super Bowl title.

However, over the first five games of the 2026 season, the version of Darnold that led to draft bust proclamations has returned. The QB has the second-most interceptions in the NFL (7), his 77.4 passer rating is among the worst among NFL starters, and likewise is his 60.4 completion percentage. It has created a lot of talk that Darnold is not a lock to hold on to his job in the weeks ahead.

Seattle Seahawks have easy path to exit Sam Darnold’s contract in March

It was a topic of discussion in a new report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano on Wednesday. According to the former, the pressure is building on Darnold because “It’s not helping that Drew Lock has been impressive for the Seahawks, both behind the scenes and in relief of Darnold.”

His fellow NFL insider, Graziano, noted that the opportunity for the Seahawks to move on from Darnold after a couple of seasons was built into his three-year deal, and they have an easier path out of it in March.

“He’ll have one year left on his contract after this season. He is scheduled to make $35.5 million in 2027, but none of that money is guaranteed,” Graziano wrote. “There is a $10 million roster bonus that vests on the fifth day of the league year (March 16), so the Seahawks will want to decide by then whether they want him on next year’s team.”

“… What’s interesting to me is that this is a different setup than Darnold had last offseason, when $17.5 million of his 2026 compensation became guaranteed on the fifth day after the Super Bowl. But if this season doesn’t go as well, Seattle has four more weeks to make the decision on Darnold than it did a year ago,” he added.

With the 2027 NFL Draft having a deep QB class, if Darnold doesn’t improve as the year progresses, Seattle is likely to increase their scouting on some of the signal callers expected to be available next April.