<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/indianapolis-colts/colts-news-daniel-jones-next-sam-darnold-after-hot-start-vs-dolphins');   ga('set', 'title', 'Is Daniel Jones next Sam Darnold after Colts’ hot start vs. Dolphins?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Daniel-Jones-of-the-Indianapolis-Colts.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Is Daniel Jones next Sam Darnold after Colts’ hot start vs. Dolphins?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-07T11:10:54-07:00">September 7th, 11:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-07T11:10:54-07:00">September 7th, 11:10am</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Indianapolis Colts</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Indianapolis Colts fans were nervous about <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/indianapolis-colts/colts-news-daniel-jones-qb1-anthony-richardson">Daniel Jones winning the starting job over Anthony Richardson</a>. But the Colts could not ask for a better start against the Dolphins. Now Colts fans are rallying around Jones after the team’s hot start in the season opener.</p><p>The Colts<a href="https://x.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1964746412249506024" rel="noopener"> jumped out to an early 17-point lead</a> over the Dolphins in the second quarter. Jones played an undeniable role early in the contest.</p><p>Jones went 10-of-12 for 150 passing yards and a touchdown en route to the 17-point lead. He also <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1964746782212293036" rel="noopener">added a rushing touchdown himself</a> to make the score 17-0.</p><p>Jones has shown an early <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/indianapolis-colts/colts-news-tyler-warren-gets-on-board-right-away-first-play">rapport with rookie tight end Tyler Warren</a>. The rookie already leads the team with four receptions for 49 yards in the second quarter.</p><p>Indianapolis has played well on offense, but they’ve also received a ton of assistance from their defense early in this game.</p><p>Newcomer Cam Bynum <a href="https://x.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1964740588852633810" rel="noopener">intercepted a pass</a> from Tua Tagovailoa during the first quarter after the Dolphins marched past midfield. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/indianapolis-colts/colts-news-indianapolis-agrees-vikings-standout-cam-bynum-60-million-deal">Colts signed Bynum</a> to a four-year, $60 million contract during NFL free agency this spring. He is already showing that he is well worth that investment.</p><p>Prior to Week 1, it was easy for Colts fans to speculate how quickly Daniel Jones would fail. But now they may be singing a different tune.</p><p>If the Colts can finish off the Dolphins in a decisive victory, they may even start dreaming about Jones becoming the next Sam Darnold.</p><p>Darnold had a magical 2024 season with the Vikings, reviving his career and winning 14 games. It was perhaps the best storyline of the 2024 season.</p><p>Daniel Jones and the Colts could receive a ton of hype if they continue dominating the Dolphins for all four quarters.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Is Daniel Jones next Sam Darnold after Colts’ hot start vs. Dolphins?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/new-york-jets/jets-news-gm-darren-mougey-believes-baker-mayfield-sam-darnold-path-justin-fields');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jets news: Why GM Darren Mougey believes in Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold path for Justin Fields');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/USATSI_26424746.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jets news: Why GM Darren Mougey believes in Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold path for Justin Fields</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-29T08:11:37-07:00">August 29th, 8:11am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-29T08:11:37-07:00">August 29th, 8:11am</time><address><a>Caleb Nixon</a>Caleb Nixon is a graduate of Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism and currently works as a sports reporter for ABC27 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In addition to his full-time role, Caleb pursues his passion for writing through freelance coverage of basketball and football.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New York Jets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The ultimate highlight of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-york-jets/jets-news-kayvon-thibodeaux-honest-review-justin-fields">Justin Fields’ NFL tour is his athletic outburst</a> with the Chicago Bears in 2022. Fields shattered records, including setting the single-game regular season rushing record with 178 yards against the Miami Dolphins.</p><p>Overall in 2022, Fields ran for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games. But the issue has never been with his legs. Rather, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-york-jets/jets-news-ex-ny-ol-gives-timid-take-justin-fields-ceiling">it’s been consistently performing in the passing game</a>.</p><p>In his two years as the starter in Chicago, Fields never threw for more than 2,570 yards in one season. That continued into his one-year tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers, throwing for 1,106 yards in six starts.</p><p>Now with the New York Jets, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-york-jets/jets-news-aaron-glenn-former-teammates-support-justin-fields">Fields earned a two-year, $40 million contract</a> to be the starter. Jets General Manager Darren Mougey <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46096167/jets-gm-says-fields-follow-mayfield-darnold-path" rel="noopener">sees room for growth both for</a> Fields and the franchise.</p><p>“I do believe Justin can be one of those guys,” Mougey said Thursday morning, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “I’ve seen progress during this camp and look forward to seeing the progress throughout the season as they all come together.”</p><p>‘One of those guys,’ meaning like Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. Both, like Fields, were first-round draft picks and struggled to find their footing in the NFL.</p><p>Mayfield was a four-year starter for the Cleveland Browns. But eventually, inconsistency led Cleveland to trade the former first overall pick to the Carolina Panthers. Now, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/tampa-bay-buccaneers/buccaneers-news-baker-mayfield-30-million-guaranteed-2026-contract-move">Mayfield is a two-time Pro Bowler,</a> throwing for over 4,000 yards in consecutive seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.</p><p>Darnold has a similar path. He struggled in his first four seasons with the Jets and Panthers, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-sam-darnold-preseason-debut">experienced a resurgence with the Minnesota Vikings</a> in 2024. Following their breakout seasons, both Mayfield and Darnold earned three-year contracts worth roughly $100 million.</p><p>“Obviously, it’s his third stop in three years with three different coordinators and a lot of moving parts, so it does take time,” Mougey said. “But I like where he’s at and I look forward to watching the progress.”</p><p>Despite not playing a regular-season snap with the Jets, Mougey and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand are already impressed <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-york-jets/jets-news-justin-fields-opens-up-low-key-addicted-powerful-habit">with Fields’ development throughout training camp</a>.</p><p>It was officially announced on Thursday that Fields will be a captain when the Jets kick off the 2025 season against the Steelers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jets news: Why GM Darren Mougey believes in Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold path for Justin Fields

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-sam-darnold-emphasizes-seattle-identity-change-chiefs-rout');   ga('set', 'title', 'Seahawks’ Sam Darnold emphasizes Seattle’s identity change after Chiefs rout');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Seahawks-Sam-Darnold-and-Zach-Charbonnet-celebrating.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Seahawks’ Sam Darnold emphasizes Seattle’s identity change after Chiefs rout</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-16T07:07:47-07:00">August 16th, 7:07am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-16T08:38:28-07:00">August 16th, 8:38am</time><address><a>Gerard Angelo Samillano</a>Gerard Angelo Samillano is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, with his focus primarily on the NBA, NFL, MLB and NCAA Football. When he's not writing for CP, Gerard can often be seen playing VALORANT or playing pick-up basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Seattle Seahawks <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seahawks-news-cooper-kupp-seahawks-locker-room">made some major changes to their offensive lineup</a>. Their biggest moves this offseason were essentially replacing quarterback Geno Smith and wide receiver DK Metcalf with former Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold and Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp. Despite these changes to the passing game, it seems that the Seahawks will still rely heavily on their rushing attack.</p><p>That was apparent in the Seahawks’ win over the Chiefs in Week 2 of the preseason. The Seahawks ran the ball 48 times, finishing with a combined 268 yards on the ground. While we can’t draw any big conclusions from preseason games, it’s clear that running the football <a href="https://x.com/johnpboyle/status/1956587783138705472" rel="noopener">will be a key part of their identity</a> this season. Darnold confirmed this in his post-game interview.</p><p>“Sam Darnold called Friday’s game, and the run game in particular, ‘our style of football.'” John Boyle reported.</p><p>With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seahawks-news-mike-macdonald-minor-kenneth-walker-iii-injury">Kenneth Walker III still dealing with a foot injury</a>, Zach Charbonnet took over first-team reps alongside Darnold. The running back finished with 45 yards on five carries. Five different running backs got touches for the Seahawks, with Damien Martinez leading the pack with 50 yards on 11 carries. QBs Jalen Milroe (18 yards on five carries) and Drew Lock (34 yards on two carries) also joined in on the rushing attack.</p><p>Last season, Seattle’s running attack lacked firepower. That was in large part due to Walker’s struggles with his health. Walker finished with just 573 yards on the year, far lower than his previous two seasons with the team. Charbonnet, on the other hand, garnered 569 yards as the backup and eventual starter after Walker ended up on the IR.</p><p>The Seahawks will need to have a successful rushing attack in order to give their passing offense room to breathe. It will take a while for Darnold and Kupp to adjust to a new system. As the “veterans” of the offense, the running backs will need to set the tone and make sure the offense keeps moving the chains.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Seahawks’ Sam Darnold emphasizes Seattle’s identity change after Chiefs rout

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-sam-darnold-preseason-debut');   ga('set', 'title', 'Seahawks QB Sam Darnold commands offense in preseason debut');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/SAMD.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Seahawks QB Sam Darnold commands offense in preseason debut</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-16T06:32:16-07:00">August 16th, 6:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-16T06:34:42-07:00">August 16th, 6:34am</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Seattle Seahawks wasted no time unveiling their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-mike-macdonald-plan-sam-darnold-co-raiders-game">new signal-caller on Friday night, as quarterback Sam Darnold</a> led a composed, efficient opening-drive touchdown in his Week 2 NFL preseason debut against the Kansas City Chiefs. In front of a packed crowd at Lumen Field, the former Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowler showcased immediate rhythm and command, offering Seattle fans a glimpse of what’s possible under the team’s evolving offensive identity.</p><p>The Seahawks vs. Chiefs matchup opened with a spark on special teams. George Holani took the kickoff 50 yards up the sideline, setting Seattle up with great field position at their own 45-yard line before a penalty pushed them back. From there, the offense got rolling behind running back Zach Charbonnet, who carried the ball multiple times behind a physical offensive line. The third-year back set the tone early, ripping off a 13-yard run to start the series and following it with gains of four, seven, and six yards, consistently chewing up chunks of yardage against a rotating Kansas City front.</p><p>Darnold, meanwhile, <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1956539248909201491" rel="noopener">settled in</a> behind center and found his targets in rhythm. His first completion—a short pass to Austin Barner—gained five yards. Then, after rookie Jalen Milroe converted a short-yardage QB sneak to move the chains, Darnold hit Jaxon Smith-Njigba for seven yards and followed that with a dart to tight end Robbie Ouzts for a 13-yard gain. He capped the passing portion of the drive with a 9-yard throw to Elijah Arroyo, who took it inside the red zone.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sam Darnold making his Seahawks debut 🙌 </p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFL</a>)<a href="https://t.co/bBIaZzsbfr">pic.twitter.com/bBIaZzsbfr</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1956539248909201491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>With the ball on the 15-yard line, <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1956540132598637034" rel="noopener">the ground game took over once more</a>. On 2nd and 1, Charbonnet powered through a wide-open interior lane for a 15-yard touchdown run—his second of the preseason. Motion from rookie wideout Torrey Horton helped open the hole, while tight end and guard blocks sealed the second level of the defense. It was the payoff to a 12-play, 81-yard scoring drive that mixed timing, balance, and confidence.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Zach Charbonnet runs it in for the early Seahawks TD 🔥<a href="https://t.co/7sg4ZbxIG0">pic.twitter.com/7sg4ZbxIG0</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1956540132598637034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>In total, Darnold finished the drive 4-for-4 passing for 34 yards, showing poise and accuracy. The execution was the clearest example yet of how the Seahawks offense has been tailored to his strengths. The West Coast-based system relied on quick reads, short-to-intermediate throws, and strong support from the run game—something Darnold capitalized on throughout the opening series.</p><p>The eight-year veteran’s preseason debut wasn’t just about numbers—it was a statement. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-seattle-predicted-to-reach-super-bowl-with-new-star-qb-by-2027">For the Seahawks, it marked the beginning of a new chapter</a> built on precision, tempo, and balance. With players like Charbonnet, Darnold, Smith-Njigba, and more already thriving in a revitalized system under Kubiak, the team may have taken their first real step toward long-term playoff contention.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Seahawks QB Sam Darnold commands offense in preseason debut

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-sam-darnold-marshawn-lynch-gingers-intro');   ga('set', 'title', 'Seahawks’ Sam Darnold reacts to Marshawn Lynch’s ‘gingers is Black’ intro');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Sam-Darnold.jpg"><figcaption>GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Seahawks’ Sam Darnold reacts to Marshawn Lynch’s ‘gingers is Black’ intro</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-15T06:11:01-07:00">August 15th, 6:11am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-15T06:11:01-07:00">August 15th, 6:11am</time><address><a>Andrew Korpan</a>Andrew Korpan is the lead entertainment editor and film critic for ClutchPoints. He's also an award-winning author and Ken Jeong's best friend.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Celebrity</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Former running back for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-marshawn-lynch-catches-attention-raiders">Seattle Seahawks, Marshawn Lynch,</a> gave the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-seattle-sam-darnold-agree-massive-100-million-contract">newly signed quarterback Sam Darnold</a> an epic introduction.</p><p>Darnold appeared on Lynch’s Get Got podcast.  The first thing the former <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWNh5C1fWzM" rel="noopener">five-time Pro Bowler said to him</a> was, “Hey, bruh, they told me that gingers is Black.”</p><p>The quarterback seemed a little flabbergasted. “I didn’t say that,” Darnold responded. One of Lynch’s co-hosts was quick to call him out. “The first thing you say is that,” his co-host said.</p><p>Lynch was quick to defend himself. “You act like he ain’t ginger,” he quipped, causing Darnold to smile. Darnold then said, “You should see my baby pictures — it’s like orange hair. I’m definitely ginger. It got a little darker with age.”</p><h2><b>Sam Darnold’s first year with the Seahawks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Seahawks-QB-Sam-Darnold.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Darnold is gearing up for his first season with the Seahawks. He did not appear in their first preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders, which ended in a tie.</p><p>The Seahawks signed Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract during the 2025 offseason. This came after his breakout season with the Minnesota Vikings.</p><p>He has had an up-and-down start to his career. After being a highly-touted college prospect at USC, Darnold was drafted with the third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Jets.</p><p>His first three years were a disaster. In 38 games, Darnold won only 13 games. He threw 45 touchdowns and 45 interceptions in those three seasons.</p><p>During the 2021 NFL offseason, Darnold was traded to the Carolina Panthers. He played in 18 games throughout two seasons with them, leading them to eight wins.</p><p>After his tenure with the Panthers, Darnold signed with the San Francisco 49ers. He had limited playing time for the team, but he threw two touchdowns in his appearances.</p><p>Then, his breakout happened. He signed with the Vikings on a one-year deal. He was initially brought in as a backup. After J.J. McCarthy’s injury, Darnold took over as the starter, and he had a career year.</p><p>Darnold passed for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. The Vikings went 14-3 and made the playoffs. In the Wild Card round, the Vikings were blown out by the Los Angeles Rams. Darnold had a bad game, throwing one touchdown and one interception. He then signed with the Seahawks.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Seahawks’ Sam Darnold reacts to Marshawn Lynch’s ‘gingers is Black’ intro

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-sam-darnold-hit-problematic-reality-seattle');   ga('set', 'title', 'Sam Darnold hit with ‘problematic’ reality about Seahawks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Sam-Darnold-on-Feb.-1-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Sam Darnold hit with ‘problematic’ reality about Seahawks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-05T23:39:54-07:00">August 5th, 11:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-05T23:39:54-07:00">August 5th, 11:39pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Star quarterback Sam Darnold has every reason to be optimistic about his first campaign with the Seattle Seahawks. He is coming off a breakout year, tallying career-highs in almost every statistical category. He is feeling good about himself, especially after signing a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-seattle-sam-darnold-agree-massive-100-million-contract">three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seahawks</a>.</p><p>A runner-up for Comeback Player of the Year last season, Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns as he led the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-3 record. He aims to build on his momentum as he tries to carry the Seahawks back to the playoffs after a two-year absence.</p><p>Seahawks coach Mike McDonald is more than willing to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-mike-macdonald-plan-sam-darnold-co-raiders-game">hand the keys to the 28-year-old Darnold</a>, who made it to his first-ever Pro Bowl last season. Several holes, however, <a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/each-nfl-team-s-biggest-challenge-will-bengals-play-defense-in-25-did-chiefs-texans-fix-offensive-line" rel="noopener">need to be filled</a> in training camp. First on the agenda: The team’s offensive unit, as recently pointed out by NFL insider Jeff Chadiha.</p><p>“There also will be questions about an offensive line that has been problematic for years, even with first-round pick Grey Zabel moving in at one of the guard spots. This isn’t a prediction of impending failure, by the way—just a way of saying there’s a lot to sort out here,” said Chadiha.</p><p>He also noted that another star addition, wide receiver Cooper Kupp, has struggled with injuries in recent years, including missing 18 games in the past three seasons. It remains to be seen if he and Darnold can develop a strong partnership, but training camp is a good place to start.</p><p>While Darnold has finally gotten comfortable as a leader, Chadiha posited that he is in a tougher situation with the Seahawks.</p><p>“The important thing to remember here is how much his renaissance came down to the structure the Vikings offered him. Minnesota had great quarterback coaches, dynamic receivers, and a reliable offensive line. The Seahawks do have a coach that knows Darnold well—the quarterback worked with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak in San Francisco in 2023—but there are a lot of questions after that,” said Chadiha.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Sam Darnold hit with ‘problematic’ reality about Seahawks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-mike-macdonald-plan-sam-darnold-co-raiders-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald hints at plan for Sam Darnold & Co. ahead of Raiders game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Seakhawks-Mike-McDonald.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald hints at plan for Sam Darnold &amp; Co. ahead of Raiders game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-05T17:30:24-07:00">August 5th, 5:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-05T17:36:06-07:00">August 5th, 5:36pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/key-seahawks-sam-darnold-protector-undergoes-surgery-but-theres-a-catch">Seattle Seahawks are set to open their 2025 preseason campaign</a> against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night, but fans hoping to see new quarterback Sam Darnold in action will have to wait. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-mike-macdonald-noah-fant-release">Head coach Mike Macdonald confirmed</a> that the majority of Seattle’s starters, including Darnold, <a href="https://x.com/MikeDugar/status/1952864880824070580" rel="noopener">will sit out the game</a>.</p><p>“Mike Macdonald won’t play starters Thursday night against the Raiders. He implied that starters will get some work against the Chiefs next week. Then they’ll have the joint practice in Green Bay (then starters likely won’t play in the preseason finale),” Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reported on X (formerly Twitter).</p><p>Stepping into his first preseason as head coach, Macdonald has taken over for the legendary Pete Carroll. The two may have different coaching styles, but Macdonald is sticking with a familiar approach when it comes to the preseason, putting a strong emphasis on keeping players healthy rather than pushing them into early action.</p><p>Among those exempt from this plan are a few rookies projected to play significant roles in the regular season. Left guard Gray Zabel, safety Nick Emmanwori, and tight end Elijah Arroyo could all see action on Thursday, as Macdonald indicated during Tuesday’s press conference. Their development and in-game experience are key as they transition into likely starting roles.</p><p>The Seahawks’ young roster is rich in under-25 talent, but its core, Darnold included, is made up of experienced veterans. Darnold, who impressed in Minnesota last year, is viewed as a potential x-factor in 2025. If he replicates his 2024 form and receives adequate protection from the offensive line, Seattle could push beyond another 9- or 10-win season and make their first deep playoff run since 2015.</p><p>The Seahawks have reason to be cautious in the preseason. In a previous exhibition matchup against the Raiders, backup QB Geno Smith suffered a concussion on his first dropback. It’s a memory the team hasn’t forgotten, and a clear reason behind the strategy to avoid risking key players unnecessarily.</p><p>In Darnold’s absence, expect backup Drew Lock and rookie Jalen Milroe to take the majority of snaps Thursday night, as Seattle begins its preseason with eyes on long-term health and regular-season readiness.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald hints at plan for Sam Darnold & Co. ahead of Raiders game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/seattle-seahawks/key-seahawks-sam-darnold-protector-undergoes-surgery-but-theres-a-catch');   ga('set', 'title', 'Seahawks’ key Sam Darnold protector undergoes surgery, but there’s a catch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Charles-Cross-Seahawks-1.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Seahawks’ key Sam Darnold protector undergoes surgery, but there’s a catch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-31T10:35:04-07:00">July 31st, 10:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-31T13:41:57-07:00">July 31st, 1:41pm</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With training camp in full swing and the Seattle Seahawks <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-sam-darnold-announces-engagement-before-2025-nfl-season">preparing for their NFL preseason opener</a> against the Las Vegas Raiders, the team’s offensive line is facing an early test of its depth. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-charles-cross-makes-intentions-clear-contract-uncertainty">Standout Seattle left tackle</a> Charles Cross recently underwent successful surgery to repair a dislocated finger, <a href="https://x.com/RapSheet/status/1950964683185242212" rel="noopener">according to</a> NFL insider Ian Rapoport.</p><p>Despite the setback, the news comes with a silver lining. Cross is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season. So, for now, Sam Darnold and Seahawks fans can sigh with relief.</p><p>The 23-year-old Cross had been practicing through the injury before opting for surgery. It underscores his toughness and commitment as the anchor of Seattle’s offensive line. With a new offensive system being installed under first-year head coach Mike Macdonald and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, Cross’s missing any part of training camp is less than ideal, especially given his status as the most experienced member of the unit.</p><h2><b>The Seahawks should be fine despite Charles Cross’s surgery</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Charles-Cross-Seahawks-2.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Cross’s absence now opens the door for others to step up at left tackle. Veteran Josh Jones is the most likely candidate to get first-team reps. But second-year tackle McClendon Curtis and undrafted rookie Michael Jerrell could also see increased opportunities. It’s an important stretch for Seattle to test its depth. It’s also significant to evaluate developmental prospects.</p><p>Originally the No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Cross was a first-team All-American and All-SEC selection at Mississippi State. He signed a four-year, $21.38 million contract with the Seahawks that includes a team option for a fifth year. The Seahawks believe in Cross. So, despite the injury, he’s a staple on the offensive line.</p><p>Cross started all 17 games for Seattle in 2024. He’s continued to solidify his role as a foundational piece of the offensive line. His return for Week 1 is a crucial piece of stability for a Seahawks team looking to build offensive cohesion early in the Macdonald era.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Seahawks’ key Sam Darnold protector undergoes surgery, but there’s a catch

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-aj-barner-sam-darnold-warning-first-seattle-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'AJ Barner sends Sam Darnold warning ahead of QB’s first Seahawks season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Sam-Darnold-3.jpg"><figcaption>© Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>AJ Barner sends Sam Darnold warning ahead of QB’s first Seahawks season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-24T21:28:57-07:00">July 24th, 9:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-24T21:41:48-07:00">July 24th, 9:41pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Sam Darnold parlayed his career-best season with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 into a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-seattle-sam-darnold-agree-massive-100-million-contract">three-year, $100.5 million contract</a> with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. Now Seattle is hoping Darnold can build on last season’s success and lead the team back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.</p><p>Seahawks tight end AJ Barner is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6514622/2025/07/24/sam-darnold-seahawks-training-camp/" rel="noopener">a believer</a>. “He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league, no doubt about it. We’re going to show it this year,” Barner said of Darnold, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic.</p><p>“Sam’s been phenomenal… Really takes the time to get with the guys. He’s open about communication back and forth about what you see. His timing is really something I’ve really taken notice of and think he’s very, very good at. When he hits his drop and when he sees it, the ball is going to be out before you’re out of your break. I’m really excited to work with him,” Barner added.</p><h2><b>Sam Darnold looks to continue career revival with Seahawks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Sam-Darnold-1.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Darnold was selected third overall out of USC by the New York Jets in the 2018 draft. After three underwhelming seasons, the Jets moved on, using the second pick in the 2021 draft on Zach Wilson. Darnold was shipped to the Carolina Panthers where he started 17 games over two seasons, throwing for 3,670 yards with 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.</p><p>In 2023, Darnold landed with the San Francisco 49ers where he backed up Brock Purdy. He then signed a one-year deal with the Vikings in 2024. However, after signing Darnold, Minnesota drafted J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in that year’s draft.</p><p>The eighth-year veteran hoped to beat out the rookie for the starting job in training camp. But Darnold became the Vikings’ QB1 after McCarthy tore his meniscus in the preseason opener. He would go on to record career-highs in passing yards (4,319), touchdowns (35), attempts (545), completions (361) and completion percentage (66.2).</p><p>Darnold was named to his first Pro Bowl as he led the Vikings to a 14-3 regular season record. However, the team was eliminated in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-most-to-blame-for-disastrous-wild-card-loss-to-rams">Wild Card round by the Rams</a> as Darnold struggled in his first ever postseason start.</p><p>Still, his time working with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco and Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota seems to have triggered a turnaround. Now the Seahawks hope that trend continues.</p><p>Seattle traded longtime starter <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/raiders-news-shocking-geno-smith-trade-seahawks">Geno Smith to the Raiders</a> this offseason, making room for Darnold. He’ll take over a Seahawks offense featuring third-year wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba and newcomer Cooper Kupp.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

AJ Barner sends Sam Darnold warning ahead of QB’s first Seahawks season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/indianapolis-colts/colts-news-gm-compares-anthony-richardson-baker-mayfield-sam-darnold');   ga('set', 'title', 'Colts’ GM compares Anthony Richardson to Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Chris-Ballard.jpg"><figcaption>© Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Colts’ GM compares Anthony Richardson to Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-22T21:16:03-07:00">July 22nd, 9:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-22T21:16:03-07:00">July 22nd, 9:16pm</time><address><a>Guillermo Guajardo</a>Guillermo Guajardo is a dynamic sports presenter with experience on various television channels and digital platforms, most recently with A Tiempo.TV. He is also a multidisciplinary artist with 10 years of experience in acting, directing, writing, and hosting. His work in film has been recognized at international festivals, earning awards for both his performances and directorial projects.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Indianapolis Colts</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>General manager Chris Ballard confirmed on Tuesday that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/indianapolis-colts/colts-news-anthony-richardson-good-training-camp-1-limit">Anthony Richardson has been cleared to practice by the Indianapolis Colts</a> despite dealing with shoulder soreness earlier in the offseason, as the team reported to Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana, for the start of 2025 training camp.</p><p>While Richardson is medically cleared, Ballard stated that his throwing load would be limited during the early practices to manage his recovery. The quarterback missed part of the spring workouts due to what head coach Shane Steichen described as a “flare-up” in his surgically repaired right shoulder. Richardson resumed throwing about three weeks ago.</p><p>Richardson enters camp in a quarterback competition with Daniel Jones, who signed with the Colts in free agency after being released by the New York Giants. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/indianapolis-colts/colts-news-anthony-richardson-vs-daniel-jones-qb-battle-plans-come-to-light">Ballard said the battle will be closely monitored</a>, including during joint practices with the Packers and Ravens and preseason games.</p><p>In 2024, Richardson posted an 8–7 record as a starter with 11 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. His best performance came against the New York Jets, completing 20 of 30 passes for 272 yards and accounting for three total touchdowns in a narrow victory. Still, Ballard acknowledged that consistency and durability remain concerns, as Richardson has yet to start more than four consecutive games in the NFL.</p><p>Ballard <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6509248/2025/07/22/colts-anthony-richardson-training-camp-daniel-jones/" rel="noopener">pushed back on the idea that this is a make-or-break season</a> for the 2023 first-round pick.</p><p>“Do you think people regret (giving up on) Baker Mayfield’s timeline? Sam Darnold’s timeline?” Ballard <a href="https://x.com/HolderStephen/status/1947753721091219818" rel="noopener">asked rhetorically, pointing to their eventual career revivals</a> after rocky starts, according to The Athletic.</p><p>He stated that young quarterbacks need time and space to grow, as long as they improve.</p><p>Regarding Jones, Ballard praised him as “a very talented player.” The No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 draft had an up-and-down tenure in New York. He started 69 games and led the Giants to the playoffs in 2022 before being released following an injury-filled 2023 season.</p><p>As the Colts face a four-year playoff drought, Ballard stated that figuring out the quarterback position is the starting point for the team’s direction. While there is no starter on the roster, Richardson and Jones will be scrutinized in a matter of weeks.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Colts’ GM compares Anthony Richardson to Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-rumors-insider-teases-jalen-milroe-usage-behind-sam-darnold');   ga('set', 'title', 'Seahawks rumors: Insider teases intriguing Jalen Milroe usage behind Sam Darnold');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Jalen-Milroe_4a0815.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Seahawks rumors: Insider teases intriguing Jalen Milroe usage behind Sam Darnold</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-22T08:10:59-07:00">July 22nd, 8:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-22T08:10:59-07:00">July 22nd, 8:10am</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Seattle Seahawks, and most other NFL teams, will begin training camp on Tuesday. The 2025 NFL season is now just around the corner now that training camps are humming with activity. But <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/3-sneaky-seattle-seahawks-trade-candidates-entering-2025-training-camp">what should Seahawks fans be keeping their eyes peeled</a> for throughout the rest of the summer?</p><p>ESPN’s Brady Henderson <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45787892/seattle-seahawks-2025-training-camp-preview-roster-projection-sam-darnold" rel="noopener">dropped some interesting details</a> in his Seahawks training camp preview.</p><p>Henderson suggested that Seahawks fans should keep their eyes on rookie quarterback Jalen Milroe during training camp.</p><p>He also teased how Seattle plans to use him behind <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seattle-seahawks-player-under-most-pressure-entering-2025-nfl-season">starter Sam Darnold</a>.</p><p>“Milroe, a third-round pick, should find his way onto the field as well, even as the third quarterback behind Darnold and Drew Lock,” Henderson wrote. “Milroe isn’t going to push Darnold for the starting job anytime soon, but the Seahawks do plan to use him a handful of snaps a game in packages that take advantage of his stellar running ability. Spring practices didn’t offer much of a glimpse of that as the Seahawks focused on installing their base offense, but that should change during camp.”</p><p>It is exciting to hear that Seattle plans to deploy Milroe in package plays throughout the regular season. Milroe will have to prove he is ready for it during training camp.</p><p>Seattle’s quarterback room will be fascinating to watch throughout camp either way. Darnold has to learn a brand new offense during training camp, which is worthy of attention in and of itself.</p><h2><b>Which training camp battles should Seahawks fans watch this summer?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kenneth-Walker-on-Dec.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Aside from the quarterback position, which position battles should Seahawks fans watch closely?</p><p>Henderson recommended the running back position as a dark horse candidate.</p><p>Henderson made it clear that nobody on the team has said the job is up for grabs. However, plenty could change about Seattle’s offense <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-hire-klint-kubiak-to-be-mike-macdonalds-oc">with a new offensive coordinator</a> and lots of new personnel.</p><p>“No one with the Seahawks has said that the RB1 job is up for grabs, and there’s no real indication that it is,” Henderson wrote. “But nothing seems certain in Seattle’s backfield considering the new coordinator, Walker’s injury history and Zach Charbonnet’s emergence last season in his absence.”</p><p>Walker has big-play ability when available, but has missed time during each of his three seasons in the NFL. Perhaps Charbonnet could win the starting job if Seattle’s coaches prefer his stability over Walker’s penchant for breaking big runs.</p><p>Charbonnet at least has the opportunity to steal more carries from Walker in 2025.</p><p>Henderson also called out right guard and cornerback three as two other position battles to watch during training camp.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Seahawks rumors: Insider teases intriguing Jalen Milroe usage behind Sam Darnold

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-sam-darnold-announces-engagement-before-2025-nfl-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Sam Darnold announces new journey before 2025 NFL season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Sam-Darnold-with-Seahawks.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Sam Darnold announces new journey before 2025 NFL season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-08T05:52:09-07:00">July 8th, 5:52am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-08T05:52:09-07:00">July 8th, 5:52am</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Seattle Seahawks made several aggressive moves this offseason. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/raiders-news-shocking-geno-smith-trade-seahawks">Trading away Geno Smith</a> and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-seattle-sam-darnold-agree-massive-100-million-contract">signing free agent QB Sam Darnold</a> had to be the biggest moves of the bunch. Seattle’s new quarterback announced a new life journey on Monday just weeks before NFL training camp.</p><p>Darnold and his longtime girlfriend Katie Hoofnagle <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DL06bzhSNVI/?img_index=1" rel="noopener">announced their engagement</a> on Instagram on Monday night.</p><p>“Huge!! Congrats to you both,” the Seahawks replied via their Instagram account.</p><p>Hoofnagle is also an athlete, as she formerly played club soccer at the University of South Carolina.</p><p>Darnold reportedly met Hoofnagle in 2023 <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/other/who-is-katie-hoofnagle-seattle-seahawks-qb-sam-darnolds-girlfriend/ar-AA1ADj9U?apiversion=v2&amp;noservercache=1&amp;domshim=1&amp;renderwebcomponents=1&amp;wcseo=1&amp;batchservertelemetry=1&amp;noservertelemetry=1" rel="noopener">during his one-year stint</a> with the 49ers. Hoofnagle made her first public appearance in Darnold’s life when wishing him a happy birthday in 2023. She has regularly appeared with Darnold in public and in social media posts ever since.</p><p>Darnold hosted a charity flag football event at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California shortly after signing with the Seahawks. He took that opportunity to <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/article/sam-darnold-gushes-unbelievable-girlfriend-175738335.html" rel="noopener">explain the huge impact</a> Hoofnagle has had on him in an Us Weekly interview.</p><p>“The support [from] my girlfriend is unbelievable,” Darnold said. “You know, the fact that she just understands it. She’s a former athlete herself, and just gets kind of the grind of everything. When I just want to chill, she’s very up for that, especially during the season.”</p><p>Darnold did admit that the stress of moving from team to team over the past few seasons has been tough on them as a couple. Thankfully, Darnold has hopefully found a long-term home in Seattle.</p><p>“We have lives, we have families, we have everything just like everyone else,” Darnold said. “Whenever we are on a one-year deal, like, yeah, it’s great. I understand playing in the NFL is awesome and I love every second of it. But when you have those one-year deals, which a lot of guys in the NFL are on, you’re always in the back of your head thinking, ‘OK, where am I gonna play next?’”</p><p>Now Darnold can settle into the next chapter of his life in Seattle.</p><p>It will be exciting to see how Darnold looks in Seattle’s offense during training camp and the preseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Sam Darnold announces new journey before 2025 NFL season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/raiders-rumors-the-tom-brady-reason-las-vegas-didnt-pursue-sam-darnold');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raiders rumors: The Tom Brady reason Las Vegas didn’t pursue Sam Darnold');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Tom-Brady-reason-Raiders-didnt-pursue-Sam-Darnold.jpg"><figcaption>© Winslow Townson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Raiders rumors: The Tom Brady reason Las Vegas didn’t pursue Sam Darnold</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-22T13:03:33-07:00">June 22nd, 1:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-22T13:03:33-07:00">June 22nd, 1:03pm</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Las Vegas Raiders</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/las-vegas-raiders">The Las Vegas Raiders’</a> quarterback room could look really different now if minority owner Tom Brady didn’t speak up.</p><p>While the Raiders ultimately landed on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/raiders-rumors-rival-exec-prediction-geno-smith-trade">trading for and extending Geno Smith</a>, they could and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6432900/2025/06/19/sam-darnold-seahawks-contract-nfl-vikings/" rel="noopener">might have realistically</a> signed Smith’s Seattle successor.</p><p>“The Seahawks’ pursuit of Darnold snuck up on many NFL observers and proceeded in rapid-fire fashion,” according to The Athletic’s Michael Silver. “While some believed the Las Vegas Raiders would try to sign Darnold, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/raiders-news-tom-brady-brutally-honest-pete-carroll-geno-smith">minority owner Tom Brady</a> — a seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback whose opinion held great sway — was not in favor of that approach, according to a source familiar with the franchise’s internal discussions.”</p><p>It’s unclear exactly why Brady was reportedly against Darnold; the journeyman quarterback found new life as the Minnesota Vikings’ starter last season, leading to a 14-3 record but also fell in the Wild Card in a 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.</p><p>Unlike Darnold and the Vikings, Smith and the Seahawks did not end up making the playoffs, as they lost out to the Rams on the NFC West title on a tiebreaker. Still, Smith led Seattle to a 10-7 record and a 7-1 record on the road.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Raiders, one year after making a surprise resurgence under then-interim coach Antonio Pierce following the firing of Josh McDaniels, collapsed in 2024. Las Vegas, without a dependable quarterback to rely on, started the season 2-2 before losing 10 games in a row from early October to just before Christmas. The Raiders managed to end the losing streak and win two of their final three games, but the 4-13 record was enough for majority owner Mark Davis to fire Pierce and replace him <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/tag/pete-carroll">with Pete Carroll</a>, coincidentally the former Seahawks head coach.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/raiders-news-geno-smith-explains-why-seahawks-trade-excited-him">Carroll has a connection with Smith</a>, who played for the Seahawks from 2019 to 2023 under Carroll. It was with the veteran coach that he experienced a career revival; after barely playing for seven straight years across four different teams, he started all 17 games during the 2022 season and threw for more than 4,000 yards, a career-high 30 touchdowns, and led the league in completion percentage. In 2024, Smith set a new career high for wins as a starter, completions, attempts, and passing yards.</p><p>Brady, widely considered the greatest quarterback of all time, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/las-vegas-raiders/raiders-news-tom-brady-vision-spark-bombshell-changes">officially joined the Raiders’ ownership group</a> in October 2024. He owns approximately 5% of the team but, as reported, has an outsized influence on the franchise’s operations.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raiders rumors: The Tom Brady reason Las Vegas didn’t pursue Sam Darnold

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-news-sam-darnold-reflects-brutal-playoff-loss-rams');   ga('set', 'title', 'Sam Darnold reflects on Vikings’ brutal playoff loss vs Rams');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Sam-Darnold.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Sam Darnold reflects on Vikings’ brutal playoff loss vs Rams</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-21T12:10:03-07:00">June 21st, 12:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-21T12:11:55-07:00">June 21st, 12:11pm</time><address><a>Guillermo Guajardo</a>Guillermo Guajardo is a dynamic sports presenter with experience on various television channels and digital platforms, most recently with A Tiempo.TV. He is also a multidisciplinary artist with 10 years of experience in acting, directing, writing, and hosting. His work in film has been recognized at international festivals, earning awards for both his performances and directorial projects.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Vikings</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Sam Darnold’s lone season with the Minnesota Vikings ended with a 14-2 record, but the promising run quickly unraveled with a crushing playoff exit. However, things took a turn for the worse pretty quickly.<a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/sam-darnold-on-final-games-in-minnesota-we-laid-an-egg-on-offense" rel="noopener"> After a tough 31-9 loss</a> to the Detroit Lions in Week 18, the Vikings followed it with a disappointing 27-9 Wild Card playoff exit against the Los Angeles Rams. What started as a standout season for Darnold turned into a tough lesson about the pressures of postseason play, ultimately leading to his departure from the Vikings <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seahawks-news-sam-darnold-flops-first-session-media">and his signing with the Seattle Seahawks</a></p><p>As the newly appointed starter for Minnesota, Darnold <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25210622-sam-darnold-reflects-vikings-nfl-playoff-loss-feelings-failure-after-struggles" rel="noopener">faced challenges in both playoff</a> games. Against the Rams, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/vikings-news-sam-darnold-roughed-rams-postseason-feat-25-years">he was sacked a staggering nine times</a>, and the Vikings could only muster nine points. Looking back on the disappointing end to the season, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6432900/2025/06/19/sam-darnold-seahawks-contract-nfl-vikings/" rel="noopener">Darnold reflected.</a></p><p>“We laid an egg as an offense… I didn’t play up to my standard. I feel like if I would have just played better, I would’ve been able to give the team a chance,” he shared in an interview with Mike Silver from The Athletic.</p><p>The Vikings’ struggle to adapt to defensive strategies proved to be a significant setback. Darnold pointed out that both Detroit and L.A. “played man and tried to play some ‘robber’ stuff,” which threw off the Vikings’ ability to convert on third downs and disrupted their offensive flow. “It gave me some troubles, personally,” Darnold <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/article/former-minnesota-vikings-qb-sam-173206377.html" rel="noopener">admitted about the coverage tactics</a> they faced in those crucial games.</p><p>Now, as he prepares to join the Seattle Seahawks, Darnold is determined to grow from this experience.</p><p>“I learned a lot last season, especially from those two games,” he said. “You go through those experiences, you learn, and you get better.”</p><p>For Darnold, it’s not just about bouncing back; it’s about showing that the version of himself who led the Vikings to 14 wins is the one who will shape his future.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Sam Darnold reflects on Vikings’ brutal playoff loss vs Rams

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-mike-macdonald-dismisses-crazy-sam-darnold-question-amid-ota-struggles');   ga('set', 'title', 'Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald dismisses ‘crazy’ Sam Darnold question amid OTA struggles');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Sam-Darnold-on-Feb.-1-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald dismisses ‘crazy’ Sam Darnold question amid OTA struggles</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-04T09:57:38-07:00">June 4th, 9:57am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-04T09:57:38-07:00">June 4th, 9:57am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-sam-darnold-flops-first-session-media">Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has struggled</a> during OTAs so far, there is already some speculation about whether the player should start this upcoming season. While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-riskiest-move-2025-nfl-offseason">Darnold could be seen as a risky move for the Seahawks</a>, head coach Mike Macdonald believes otherwise, taking issue with the conversation around the former Minnesota Vikings signal-caller.</p><p>After trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, Seattle saw what Darnold did in his resurgence with Minnesota and acquired him with the thought of being their starter. When speaking with Seattle Sports, he would be asked about whether there’s a chance, aside from injury, that the team would go away from Darnold as the starter, leading to a <a href="https://x.com/SeattleSports/status/1929961030580613502" rel="noopener">“crazy”</a> admission from the coach.</p><p>“No, you guys are crazy,” Macdonald said. “I respect that you’ve got to ask it, but it’s just a crazy question. It’s just not going to happen. Sam’s our starting quarterback. We love him. He’s doing a tremendous job.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“Sam’s our starting quarterback.”<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Seahawks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Seahawks</a> coach Mike Macdonald to <a href="https://twitter.com/BrockHuard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrockHuard</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/TheMikeSalk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheMikeSalk</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/SeattleSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SeattleSports</a>.</p><p>FULL VIDEO 📺: <a href="https://t.co/2nHH3MqeNL">https://t.co/2nHH3MqeNL</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZSwNxMOpR7">pic.twitter.com/ZSwNxMOpR7</a></p><p>— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeattleSports/status/1929961030580613502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>Last season, Darnold had the best season of his career with Minnesota as he threw for 4,319 yards to go along with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.</p><h2><b>Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald defends Sam Darnold </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Sam-Darnold-on-Jan.-13-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-mike-macdonald-reveals-why-hes-excited-to-work-with-sam-darnold">Seahawks coach has been excited to work with Darnold</a>, there’s no denying the struggles at the very moment, where in sessions open to the media, it hasn’t been pretty. According to ESPN, there was a part in the session where Darnold would lead the No. 1 offense, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45445004/seahawks-mike-macdonald-scoffs-notion-sam-darnold-start" rel="noopener">throwing two picks in the span of three plays.</a></p><p>Still, Macdonald acknowledges the lowlights from Darnold, but makes sure to emphasize how it’s very early in Seattle’s offseason program.</p><p>“God forbid you’re the worst player of all time because you made one bad throw or one bad decision,” Macdonald said. “That is not what we’re trying to build. We want these guys to go prepare the right way and then when they go out on the practice field, go freaking let it rip, and then we’ll go fix it.”</p><p>“We’ve got time,” Macdonald continued. “It’s June 3. They’re going to get plenty of reps. We’ll get those things fixed. Sam made a lot of great throws yesterday — he was gashing us on third-and-goal to start the day out, too. So, yeah, it’s kind of a crazy question.”</p><p>At any rate, the Seahawks look to improve after finishing with a 10-7 record, which put them second in the NFC West. Darnold looks to have a productive summer as the team opens the upcoming season against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Sept. 7.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025 SEASON STATS
PASSING YDS	PASSING TDS	INTERCEPTIONS	POSITION RANK
150	0	0	-

2025 SEASON STATS
PASSING YDS	PASSING TDS	INTERCEPTIONS	POSITION RANK
150	0	0	-

Sam Darnold news

Sam
Darnold news