Cooper Kupp (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
Sam Darnold is looking forward to his first season as the starting quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks.
The 27-year-old emerged as one of the top quarterbacks during the 2024 season, clinching his first Pro Bowl berth after leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-3 record and a playoff berth.
Cooper Kupp Joins a New-Look Seahawks Offense
The Seahawks will look a little bit different this year compared to years past, with longtime receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett now on other teams. However, Seattle brought in former Super Bowl MVP and longtime Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp to help fill the void.
“We’ve been out for the last two weeks or so, Coop has been great,” says Darnold in a one-on-one interview with RG about Kupp. “He’s such a hard worker. Obviously, that’s well-documented just how hard he works. I feel like he’s always in the quarterback room. If I can’t find Cooper in the building, I always feel like I can go to the quarterback room and find him; he’s just always got his head in the playbook and trying to learn this as fast as possible.”
Darnold is playing his first season in Seattle but has familiarity with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak after the two teamed up together with the San Francisco 49ers back in 2023. Darnold says that was a big “draw” for him in coming to Seattle. However, he did play last season for the Vikings under Kevin O’Connell and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips.
He mentions how he, Kupp, and other newcomers are behind the “eight-ball” right now as they learn the offense.
“In regards to learning the offense, we’re all behind the eight-ball right now,” says Darnold.
“All these teams have quarterbacks and rosters that have been in the same system for two, three, four-plus years. We just have to take advantage of every single day, not feel like we’re grinding too hard to where we can’t focus the next day.”
“But we just have to have an urgent mindset to be able to make some hay this offseason and do what we can to put ourselves in a good position by the start of the season,” Darnold continues.
New Offensive Pieces to Propel Seattle Forward
As the Seahawks enter a new era with Darnold at quarterback, it’s clear they’re trying to give him as many pieces as possible to succeed. Seattle finished 18th in points per game last season, and it’s clear upgrading the offense is the key to getting the team from being a fringe playoff team into a concrete contender.
Nine of the Seahawks’ 11 draft picks were on offense, including guard Grey Zabel with their first-round pick and tight end Elijah Arroyo in the third round. Zabel projects to be an opening-week starter, while Arroyo could very well emerge as one in his rookie campaign.
That also includes the highly talented Jalen Milroe, who will serve as the backup quarterback to Darnold but could also be used in special offensive packages to utilize his talents. Darnold hasn’t had the opportunity to know many of the rookies in-depth yet, but will soon with OTAs ramping up for the Seahawks.
“I haven’t really talked to many of the rookies,” said Darnold late last week. “I know Jalen. He was training in Orange County with the same quarterback coach that I have. I saw him for a split second here when he was doing rookie minicamp. I’ll be able to meet and talk to them quite a bit and kind of get to know them over the next couple of weeks, and obviously over the season.”
Building Chemistry and Mentoring the Future
Darnold is playing on his fifth team in his eighth season in the NFL. Getting acclimated and getting to know new teammates isn’t a foreign concept to him. He understands how “important” it is to develop relationships with everyone on the team.
“Just being able to spend time with everybody and get to know these guys—we only have so much time to get to know each other,” says Darnold. “Whether it’s in the building, but also just being able to go out and have dinner, get together outside the building. It’s always important to be able to spend time with your teammates and get to know everybody.”
Darnold calls Milroe a “heck of a player” and says that while he’s looking forward to mentoring him, he’s sure he’ll learn a few things from the former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback as well.
“He’s a heck of a player,” says Darnold of Milroe. “I watched him a ton the last couple years when he was at ‘Bama, playing in all those big games. Super fun to watch—a dynamic athlete—and it’s just fun to be able to see what he’s done on the college stage and be able to see what he can do on this level.”
Milroe was considered one of the “sleeper” picks of the 2025 NFL Draft. While his throwing skills are still a little raw, his dual-threat ability is undeniable, and he has a strong arm. Some observers were comparing him to Lamar Jackson leading into the draft, which made him a possible first-round pick.
The 22-year-old quarterback rushed for 726 yards and 20 touchdowns during his final season at Alabama.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Seahawks utilize Milroe, who may have the highest ceiling of any of this year’s rookie quarterbacks. However, Darnold is the franchise quarterback for Seattle this season and for the foreseeable future.
The Seahawks will look to boost their offense with the addition of Darnold and clinch their first playoff berth since the 2022 season.
DJ Siddiqi is a sports reporter who focuses on football, basketball and pro wrestling. He has covered some of the biggest sporting events, including the NBA Finals and Wrestlemania and often interviews high-profile athletes on a weekly basis. Siddiqi has interviewed the likes of Dan Marino, Emmitt Smith, Shaquille O'Neal, Tony Hawk and Giannis Antetokounmpo. His previous experience includes working as a lead NBA writer at CBS Sports and 247 Sports in addition to working as a beat reporter covering the NFL and the Denver Broncos at Bleacher Report. Follow Siddiqi for exclusive one-on-one interviews and analysis on key topics in sports
