3 reasons Huard likes Sam Darnold as Seattle Seahawks QB

As the signs continued to point at the Seattle Seahawks turning to Sam Darnold as their next quarterback, they just kept making more and more sense to Brock Huard.

To the point that the longtime Seattle Sports host, current FOX football analyst and former NFL quarterback has multiple reasons he’s happy about the Seahawks reportedly agreeing to a three-year, $100.5 million contract with the free agent QB.

Bump & Stacy React: Why Sam Darnold ‘fits’ as Seahawks QB

Shortly after news broke Monday that the Seahawks and Darnold reportedly have a deal, Huard shot an instant reaction video – just a few hours removed from speculating about the Hawks and Darnold as a fit on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

“The more we talked through it this morning on the show,” Huard said, “it just made more and more sense to me, and why everybody I think in the league kind of felt like, yep, this made a lot of sense for (general manager/president of football operations) John Schneider and the Seahawks.”

How the Seahawks gained by replacing Geno Smith with Sam Darnold

Here are three reasons Huard likes Darnold as Seattle’s replacement for Geno Smith at QB.

Why Brock likes Darnold to the Seattle Seahawks

No. 1

“You get quite a bit younger. Sam Darnold’s 27, but he comes with an awful lot of experience – both good and bad.”

That leads to:

No. 2

Huard likes that Darnold picked himself up after not sticking as the Jets or Panthers starting quarterback, taking a year to learn as the backup QB in San Francisco in 2023, then becoming a first-time Pro Bowler after being pressed into duty in 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings.

“The dude is gritty and tough. West Coast guy, been beat up in his career, got surrounded by a tremendous supporting cast last year (with the Minnesota Vikings) – the play-caller, organization fit (him). Was truly rehabbed, it looked like, with his year in San Francisco and flourished last year in Minnesota.”

🏈 2024 PLAY OF THE YEAR VOTE! 🥳

1 like = 1 vote@Vikings QB Sam Darnold found Justin Jefferson for a TD which took the Vikes from one end of the field to the other! pic.twitter.com/akOOWLWR3q

— NFL UK & Ireland (@NFLUKIRE) December 27, 2024

No. 3

Huard then spoke to Darnold’s experience in a Shanahan-style offense, which includes when he with the 49ers at the same time that new Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak (whose own family is a big part of the Shanahan coaching tree) was San Francisco’s passing game coordinator.

“Most importantly (to me) as an old quarterback is he’s going to walk in and know this language and have such comfort with Klint Kubiak. That year together in San Francisco, (Darnold has) the depth of knowledge, the depth of experience, (will be) able to be the tip of the spear – as (Seahawks coach) Mike Macdonald likes to say – because he knows this system inside and out. He knows the checks, he knows the details, he knows what it’s supposed to look like. Then (because of) last year, he knows what it’s supposed to play and feel like as, again, he flourished.”

After the bell

Huard tacked on one last positive regarding the reported contract for Darnold.

“A deal that was, I think, commensurate for what he did. A deal that’s similar to Geno’s three years ago, similar to Baker Mayfield’s, gives his team plenty of (salary) cap room and opportunity still both in this draft and throughout the rest of the offseason to surround him and support him.

“I think it’s a win-win all the way around.”

Watch Brock Huard’s instant reaction video to the Sam Darnold news at the top of this post. Catch him on Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. on Seattle Sports.