Matt Calkins: Seahawks' Sam Darnold should be in the NFL MVP conversation

Matt Calkins, The Seattle Times on Oct 27, 2025

Published in Football

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SEATTLE — He doesn't have the star power of a Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen or Jalen Hurts. He doesn't play for a franchise as storied as the Packers or Patriots, or Cowboys, either.

But there's a quarterback out there playing as well — if not better — than any other signal caller in the NFL while getting modest recognition. His name is Sam Darnold. And if he does over the next 10 games what he did over the first seven, he'll deserve legitimate league MVP consideration.

I know, that sounds like homerism personified, but trust me, it's not. And if the season ended today and I had a vote, I would pick Mahomes for the award without a second thought.

But what the Seahawks quarterback has accomplished this season is a case of understated artistry. Darnold hasn't simply been a game manager, he's been a game changer.

Before I continue, it must be noted that Darnold has a potential first-team All-Pro receiver in Jaxson-Smith Njigba at his disposal. The Ohio State product has 99 more receiving yards than anyone in the NFL and has played one fewer game than second-place Ja'Marr Chase.

Like fellow Seahawks receiver Cooper Kupp did for the Rams in 2021, JSN has a real chance to win AP Offensive Player of the Year — particularly if he keeps this pace and breaks Calvin Johnson's season receiving-yards record. But it sure does help having Sam spinning him those spirals.

Through Week 8, analytics site Pro Football Focus has graded Darnold as the No. 1 quarterback in the NFL. Plenty of folks have their issues with PFF — it's a subjective system based on staffers grading every play. The evaluators don't always know what the coverages are or what routes were supposed to be run. But being tops in the league on that site is still meaningful.

Want other stats? Darnold is seventh in passer rating at 109.2 (fifth-place Daniel Jones is at 109.5). He is sixth in QBR among players who have played at least five games.

He has taken just nine sacks, which ranks 29th in the league. And his yards per attempt (9.1) tops the NFL.

More than anything, he is doing this for a team that, at 5-2, sits tied with the Rams atop the NFC West. No, it's not quite a season for the ages, but all the preseason takes doubting Darnold's ability have aged poorly.

Is the rest of the country recognizing what he's doing, though? The NFL doesn't have a weekly Race to the MVP ladder like the NBA does, where a writer ranks the Top 10 candidates and pens blurbs justifying their positions. Still, I have yet to see any national site of any affiliation put Darnold in its top five.

Second, the betting markets aren't sold, either. Despite being first in the PFF rankings, despite being seventh in passer rating and sixth in QBR — Darnold is tied for 11th among QBs to win MVP (tied for 12th overall) at 50-to-1.

Granted sportsbooks don't set odds on who they think the best players are. They set odds based on how they think people will bet. But that's all essentially based on public perception, which is often fueled by media coverage. Darnold's play on the field doesn't seem to be leading to play in the press.

Then again, perhaps some are saying hold on — I've seen this story before." Darnold, after all, was brilliant through the first 16 games of the season with the Vikings last year. He was anything but in the final two, which were the most important. With the division title on the line vs. Detroit in Week 18, Sam went 18 for 41 for 166 yards and no touchdowns in a 31-9 loss. In the first round of the playoffs, he took nine sacks in a 27-9 loss to the Rams.

Hence the opinion ESPN's Stephen A. Smith's gave on Darnold last week on "First Take.

“I saw the season finale of the regular-season game after you were 14-2 last year. I ain’t letting that go,” Smith said. “I’m saying to you, 'I need to see.' I need to see what [Darnold] is going to do as the season wanes.”

Fair point. The aforementioned Kupp is on record saying Darnold was unfairly criticized for his play in his last two games with the Vikings, but the stat sheet is glaring. He still has much to prove.

Right now, though, his stat sheet is shining. More people should acknowledge that he's near the top of the league. Come year's end, he may be at the top.

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