The first big quarterback domino fell roughly two-and-a-half hours into the NFL's free agency negotiating window when the Seattle Seahawks signed quarterback Sam Darnold to a three-year contract worth $110.5 million. Darnold got $55 million in guaranteed money, though his per-year average does not make him a top-15 paid QB in the league. His arrival in Seattle signals that sweeping changes are coming to the offense this offseason.
No team has been busier altering their roster than the Seahawks over the past week. General manager John Schneider sent shockwaves around the league by trading starting quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, immediately making them players for Darnold, the best free-agent quarterback available. Days later, Schneider responded to DK Metcalf's trade request by shipping him off to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for draft capital.
Metcalf wasn't the first Seahawks receiver to depart their offense this offseason. Schneider also released franchise legend Tyler Lockett from his contract. Lockett, an aging asset, was never going to be on the 2025 Seahawks at a bloated cap hit that was structured in advance to be severed this offseason. Their departures leave Jaxon Smith-Njigba and not much else at receiver in Seattle.
It represents an interesting dynamic for the Seahawks. They just signed a free-agent quarterback who revived his career while playing alongside Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in Minnesota last season. He won't find those types of pass-catchers in Seattle, though Smith-Njigba is on the brink of true superstardom.
Many may feel that Seattle's willingness to sign Darnold to a lucrative contract and trade Metcalf means they're pigeonholed into drafting a wide receiver in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. That's not the case at all. Even before the roster acquisition part of the offseason arrived, head coach Mike Macdonald and Schneider decided on sweeping changes to the team's flailing offensive philosophy.
The Seahawks were not a well-balanced offense throughout 2024. They finished seventh in passing attempts (593) and 29th in rushing attempts (383). Smith finished fourth in passing yards (4,320), and third in interceptions (15). That’s chaotic. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb was fired at the conclusion of his first season as Macdonald's play-caller.
Seattle's inability to run the football effectively irked the defensive-minded Macdonald greatly. The offense finished 28th in rushing yards per game (95.7). Smith, a gunslinger behind a lackluster offensive line, responded with the aforementioned high-volume, high-risk throws.
Macdonald plans to course-correct that in 2025. He hired the well-liked Klint Kubiak to be his new offensive coordinator. Kubiak's top priority is to address the ground game, one that should be significantly better considering they've spent premium draft capital on running backs Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III in recent years.
Kubiak even hired the esteemed John Benton to be his offensive line coach after the pair worked together in New Orleans last season. Together, they'll prioritize upgrading an offensive line that has young draft picks such as Olu Oluwatimi, Anthony Bradford, Christian Haynes, Sataoa Laumea, and a franchise left tackle in Charles Cross. The offensive line still needs upgrading, so additional help should arrive via free agency and the draft.
Expect a lot more 12 personnel from the Seahawks in 2025. Kubiak will prioritize two-tight-end sets while attempting to manufacture grass for Walker and Charbonnet to exploit. Darnold, who played under Kubiak with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, is an outstanding and familiar fit to operate the offense. The Seahawks aren't locked into a first-round receiver, because the offense will be far more balanced than it was a year ago.
