Seattle, WA
Why Daniel Jeremiah believes in Seattle Seahawks' Sam Darnold
Which Sam Darnold are the Seattle Seahawks getting?
That’s a question wondered by many after the Seahawks made Darnold their new starting quarterback with a three-year contract last month.
Brock’s Seattle Seahawks Draft Profile: Two athletic guards from the old Pac-12
There’s the Sam Darnold that was on display for the first 17 weeks of last season – the one who completed 68.1% of his passes for 4,153 yards and 35 touchdowns to 12 interceptions in 16 games. That version of Darnold led the Minnesota Vikings to a 13-3 record and a chance to win the NFC North title in the final weeks of the regular season.
And there’s the Sam Darnold who showed up for the final two games for the Vikings – the one who went just 18 of 41 for 166 yards with the NFC North title on the line and was sacked a whopping nine times by the Los Angeles Rams the following week in the wild card round of the NFC playoffs. That version of the quarterback is closer to what he had been through his first six NFL seasons, which had led to many dubbing the former No. 3 overall pick as a bust.
The Seahawks are clearly banking on the thought that the progress Darnold showed for much of the season in Minnesota is real. At least one NFL insider thinks that’s the version of Darnold they’ll get.
“I’ve always been a fan of Sam Darnold,” NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah told Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk during conversation Thursday. “I’ve always believed in Sam Darnold’s ability, and I think there’s so many people that had just put their feet in the ground on him and had decided that, ‘OK, we haven’t seen any good. He’s never going to be good. He’s not good.’
“And it was like they were just eyeballing the first sign of regression and then they were going to throw away the whole rest of the season based off the last two games.”
Jeremiah, a former NFL scout, said Darnold’s performance in Minnesota’s de facto NFC North title game was a bad one. But he’s not convinced that the struggles in the Vikings’ playoff loss fall on Darnold.
“Nobody was playing well in that situation,” Jeremiah said. “He got the tar kicked out of him. I mean, they couldn’t protect. He had no chance.”
Jeremiah likened the situation to what happened in the Super Bowl when superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs were trampled by the Philadelphia Eagles. The Chiefs had no answers for the Eagles’ menacing pass rush, Mahomes was sacked six times and threw two picks, and Kansas City’s quest for an elusive three-peat ended in a 40-22 loss.
“I always just tell people that are crucifying (Darnold) over those two games, well, then you better be the same person who’s crucifying Patrick Mahomes for the Super Bowl, too, because that’s the same type of a situation,” Jeremiah said.
“I don’t care how great you are. When you can’t pass protect, and you got no time and you’re getting the crap kicked out of you, it’s not going to look good. And that’s what happened in that last game with Minnesota.”
Seattle is the ‘perfect place’ for Darnold
News of Darnold’s signing came out just days after the Seahawks traded starting quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round pick in this year’s draft. The deal reunited Smith with former Seattle head coach Pete Carroll.
Brock and Salk asked Jeremiah if a Smith trade would have gotten done if Carroll hadn’t returned to coaching this offseason.
“I still think you would have found a taker,” Jeremiah said. “I think you would have found similar compensation for Geno somewhere.”
Ex-Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith reportedly gets new deal with Raiders
There are some stark similarities between the 27-year-old Darnold and 34-year-old Smith. Both were highly regarded quarterback prospects coming out of college. Both were drafted by the New York Jets. And both struggled early in their careers while failing to live up to expectations.
But like Darnold did last year, Smith experienced a career resurgence with the Seahawks when he took over as the starting quarterback following the Russell Wilson trade in 2022.
Jeremiah sees those similarities as a reason why Darnold fits in nicely with Seattle.
“I think Seattle is the perfect place because they’ve seen a quarterback who was drafted … and it didn’t quite work out for a while, and he just kind of needed to get in that right spot in that right fit and then off he goes,” Jeremiah said. “So I was like, this is a Geno Jr. situation. I mean, it’s history repeating itself.”
Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player in this story. Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
Seattle Seahawks news and analysis
• 3 tight end draft targets for Seattle Seahawks after first round
• Seattle Seahawks GM: ‘We’re working on’ adding a fullback
• Brock’s Seattle Seahawks Draft Profile: The fullback Seattle needs?
• Jeremiah: Potential Seattle Seahawks OL targets in ‘sweet spot’ of draft
• Seahawks GM confirms team’s stance on controversial ‘tush push’ play
Seattle, WA
Outreach groups respond to the reported relocation cycle of Ballard’s homeless population
SEATTLE — As people voice concerns about an encampment in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, outreach groups are detailing their efforts and fighting back against encampment removals.
The outreach group We Heart Seattle said it checks on the people in an encampment of at least 20 people weekly to offer water, snacks, personal hygiene items, and access to treatment.
RELATED | Ballard encampment grows after city removes nearby site along Burke-Gilman Trail
The group told KOMO it believes more can be done at the city level, from policy to housing, to get the homeless connected with shelter and services.
A woman working at the Fred Meyer off NW 45th Street and 9th Avenue captured video of a fire near tents at an encampment across the street. A day later, off camera, she told KOMO News she worries about the safety of the people living in the tents and Ballard neighbors, in addition to concerns about alleged open-air drug use at the encampment.
“We became homeless because of certain situations, and we turned to drugs, and unfortunately, addiction comes next, you know?” Crystal Rawlings told KOMO News. She has set up her tent on multiple streets in Ballard, and said she’s approaching one year of being opioid-free.
She believes there’s been more city outreach since the start of the new mayoral administration to connect people living on the streets with services, but knows there’s not enough transitional housing for everyone who needs or wants it.
She and the Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger urge the city to stop encampment removals that push this group to another block.
RELATED | City removes Ballard encampment as neighboring businesses raise housing concerns
“We’re not abominations. We’re not obstructions, and we’re not trash, so stop sweeping us,” Rawlings stated.
The city is still aiming to reach Mayor Katie Wilson’s goal of adding 1,000 new units of shelter in 2026 and recently opened a tiny home village in nearby Interbay, but fell short of the goal of 500 new units by June.
Andrea Suarez with We Heart Seattle estimates at least 20 people living on the street keep getting moved around Ballard, from behind the Albert Lee store to Leary Avenue to NW 45th Street behind the Fred Meyer.
“This encampment has people that’ve been homeless for more than five years. We know their names and faces. They’re still here. They’re still stuck in late-phase addiction, frankly because it’s permitted,” Suarez explained.
RELATED | Viral makeshift homeless shelter with chimney dismantled by Seattle city crews
She believes a camping ban on city sidewalks would help encourage more people to accept shelter, and help stop the cycle of moving people without
“It is an underserved community. I think it is unfair,” Suarez added. “We’ve tried to balance between enablement and really giving people a hand up, but without the teeth and backup for the work of outreach workers, it starts to feel futile, and that’s why we get burned out.”
The mayor’s office was working to send data about its homeless response in Ballard as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger estimates there have been nine Ballard-area encampment removals so far this year.
SEATTLE – Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.
Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Weather Watch
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds.
What’s next:
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms.
Looking Ahead:
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine.
MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
6-year-old Bellingham, WA boy dies from injuries after beach driftwood accident
Grandmother thwarts Pike Place kidnapping, Seattle police make arrest
‘Transfer Fire’ near Lake Chelan, WA hospital prompts evacuation notices
Here’s where WA wildfires are currently burning
Seattle office vacancy crisis shifts tax burden onto homeowners
Thurston County, WA couple desperate to find dog after Rover sitter vanishes
Husband of pregnant wife killed in Seattle sues King County homeless authority
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
— Enjoy free coverage of the Super Bowl champions from Seattle Seahawks On SI —
Sign Up For the Seahawks Daily Digest – OnSI’s Free Seattle Seahawks Newsletter
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
-
Politics8 minutes ago
Fate of Blanche’s Nomination Could Rest on One Republican Senator
-
Lifestyle44 minutes agoTrump relished in being compared to dictators like Hitler and Stalin, journalist says
-
Technology56 minutes agoSkullcandy’s bass-boosting Crusher headphones now come with Bose’s ANC
-
World1 hour agoWATCH: Russian soldier thrown through air as Soviet-era helicopter gun spins out of control
-
Politics1 hour agoLindsey Graham’s final act reverberates in Senate as sister is urged to “keep pedaling”
-
Health1 hour agoIs lettuce still safe to eat amid Taco Bell illness probe? Doctors answer
-
Sports1 hour agoMarcello Hernández roasts Jake Paul, Tiger Woods and Bill Belichick in ESPYS monologue
-
Technology1 hour agoYou paid for it. So why is your device showing ads?
