“I Wouldn’t Be Surprised If They Target Sam Darnold”: Insider Names Seahawks’ Next QB After Geno Smith’s Trade to the Raiders

NFL Free agency doesn’t officially start until Wednesday. That didn’t stop a pair of West Coast teams from heading in new directions at the league’s most important position on Friday night.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Seattle Seahawks have traded quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. In return, they’ve received a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported the selection headed to Seattle is No. 92 overall.

On NFL Network’s The Insiders, Rapoport indicated the Seahawks aren’t sitting idly by in their pursuit of Smith’s replacement. He suggested they were interested in luring Sam Darnold to the Pacific Northwest.

Darnold, 27, was long thought to be a bust since being drafted in 2018. However, he excelled with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 under head coach Kevin O’Connell. Darnold set career-highs in completion percentage (66.2%), passing yards (4,319) and touchdown passes (35) for Minnesota while posting a 14-2 record and making his first Pro Bowl appearance. And now, the Seahawks might even be vying for him.

“Every [free agent] option is available… [but] I wouldn’t be surprised if they target Sam Darnold, among others,” Ian Rapoport suggested.

Garafolo agreed Darnold was “a possibility” for Seattle. Dianna Russini of The Athletic echoed Rapoport’s comments on Twitter/X, claiming the Seahawks “are now targeting Sam Darnold.”

Much like Darnold, Smith, 34, was also considered a major NFL Draft bust through his age-30 season. He tossed more interceptions (36) than touchdowns (29) prior to 2021. Over the last four years in Seattle, though, he has made two Pro Bowls and produced a 76:36 TD-to-interception ratio. On top of that, he recorded a better-than .500 record in each of the past three seasons. With him now reuniting with Pete Carroll in Sin City, fans can perhaps look forward to an even more productive season from the veteran signal caller.

Smith’s reunion with Carroll could mean good things for the Raiders

During The Insiders, Rapoport indicated the Seahawks and Smith had not progressed far in new contract talks. This led Seattle to send Smith to Las Vegas, a move that reconnects him with the man who helped revitalize his career: Pete Carroll.

Carroll was Seattle’s head coach for 14 years. For much of that time, he had Russell Wilson as his starting quarterback. That changed when the Seahawks shipped Wilson to Denver ahead of the 2022 campaign. After the trade, Carroll hitched his wagon to Smith. The vote of confidence inspired Smith, who quarterbacked Seattle to a playoff berth.

After a year away from the sideline, Carroll took the Raiders’ coaching job this offseason. He, alongside Tom Brady, is attempting to implement a winning culture for a team desperately craving quality leadership. In acquiring Smith, that duo has landed a signal-caller who will help them lay the foundation for potential success. And in the process, they fired up the face of their franchise: defensive end Maxx Crosby.

Seattle, meanwhile, has an opportunity to get younger at the quarterback position with Darnold. He fits second-year head coach Mike Macdonald’s timeline better than the elder Smith does. Darnold also, at this stage of his career, offers more upside than Smith.

The Seahawks have their sights set on a division crown and playoff spot in 2025. The Raiders obviously want those things, too, but have a steeper mountain to climb to reach those goals. Their primary objective in 2025 is to set the groundwork for long-term contention. This move pushed both organizations further along their desired path. Assuming Seattle lands Darnold in free agency, it’s a clear win-win trade.