Seattle’s quarterback pivot raised eyebrows the moment it happened. By moving on from Geno Smith, sending him to Las Vegas, and committing $100.5 million to Sam Darnold, the Seahawks bet on timing and conviction. Now, with Seattle heading to Super Bowl 60 and Geno landing on a last-place Raiders roster (3-14), a former Seahawks quarterback is giving the franchise credit for having the nerve to walk away.
Moving On From Geno Smith and Giving the Reins to Sam Darnold Paid Off
That gamble is starting to look less like a leap of faith and more like a calculated strike. Few people understand that kind of quarterback bet better than Matt Hasselbeck.
Hasselbeck’s confidence in Seattle’s direction centers squarely on Darnold. “He’s just a different player from when he was with the Jets,” Hasselbeck said in an exclusive interview with PFSN.
“He was only 20 years old when he left USC and was thrown into a franchise role too early.” Darnold entered the league carrying expectations he wasn’t equipped to handle, and Seattle clearly believed time, not talent, was the missing ingredient.
That perspective comes from experience. “I sat behind Brett Favre for three years,” Hasselbeck said. “A lot of great quarterbacks sit for a year: Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers. It’s okay to sit. Sam needed time to mature, and now he’s done that.”
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The payoff showed up on the biggest stage. After outdueling Matthew Stafford in the NFC Championship Game, Hasselbeck saw a quarterback fully in control. “He’s playing with confidence, especially after the NFC Championship Game,” he said. “He went toe-to-toe with Matthew Stafford… He doesn’t need to force anything. Seattle will stay balanced and rely on their defense and special teams.”
Hasselbeck didn’t shy away from praising the front office for making the hard call. “Credit to the Seahawks for saying we don’t need to re-sign Geno Smith,” he said. “We think we’ve got an opportunity to get a franchise quarterback who’s 27 years old. He can be our starting quarterback for maybe 10 plus years. And they put all their chips in on him.”
The numbers back it up. Darnold finished the regular season ranked 13th on PFSN’s QB Impact metrics with a 78.7 impact score, while Smith ranked 34th at 68.6 with a D+ grade. Darnold threw for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns, then followed it up by torching the Rams for 346 yards and three scores to punch Seattle’s Super Bowl ticket.
Meanwhile, Geno’s reunion with Pete Carroll in Las Vegas unraveled fast. The Raiders collapsed to the league’s worst record (3-14), securing the No. 1 overall pick and raising serious questions about Smith’s future as a starter.
Hasselbeck also pointed to Seattle’s supporting cast, singling out a receiver who’s quietly become elite. “Jaxon Smith-Njigba has had a ridiculously good year,” he said. “If he were more flashy and played in a different market, we would be talking about him a lot more. He is ridiculously good.”
The contrast between the two quarterback paths is stark. Smith gave Seattle a great chapter. Darnold, in one season, has delivered a bestseller. With a Super Bowl ahead and a quarterback finally playing freely, the Seahawks have a strong chance to build on this.
