The Pittsburgh Steelers have added serious firepower to their offense with the DK Metcalf trade, but it is still unknown who will be throwing him the football. One of the higher upside options on the market has found his home in the Pacific Northwest.
Sam Darnold agreed to a 3-year, $110.5 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks, cashing in on a strong season with the Minnesota Vikings.
With Justin Fields also on the move to the New York Jets, the Steelers' quarterback situation is becoming dire as their options become more and more limited. With the top options gone, things could look very bleak on offense next season.
Pittsburgh Steelers lost out on a rare opportunity by losing Sam Darnold to the Seattle Seahawks
It is very rare that a QB under 30 years old coming off the kind of performance Darnold had in 2024 hits the market, but his circumstances were different than most. The former third-overall pick struggled with the Jets and Panthers before taking a backup job with the 49ers in 2023.
He parlayed that learning opportunity into a chance to win a starting job with the Vikings in 2024, a job he won by default due to an injury to their first-round pick J.J. McCarthy.
Even after a season that saw him throw for over 4,000 yards and 35 touchdowns, questions remain about how effective he will be outside of the comfy confines of the Vikings' elite offensive system. Still, he has a real franchise QB upside at just 27 years old.
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The Steelers are now likely to pursue one of Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers, both of whom are far beyond their prime at this point. They would most likely be fine for 2025, but this team has consistently focused too much on maximizing the present at the expense of the future.
Sam Darnold could have been a way to help make them better in 2025 while offering value beyond that as well. Instead, they will be looking for a franchise QB yet again in 2026.