Free agent Sam Darnold is Seattle’s preferred replacement for Geno Smith, according to reports.

The Seahawks agreed to trade Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round pick on Friday. They can begin talking to free agents on Monday, and reportedly have Darnold at the front of the queue of quarterback options.

Darnold, 27, resurrected his career in a Pro Bowl season with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. He was 14-3 while playing on a one-year deal as the replacement for Kirk Cousins in Minnesota. He was the No. 3 overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Jets.

The season ended with two painful performances in a loss to the Detroit Lions to close the regular season and the wild-card round defeat in Arizona against the Los Angeles Rams, who sacked Darnold nine times.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell said at the NFL Scouting Combine that Minnesota would entertain bringing Darnold back, but the Vikings also have other options. They drafted J.J. McCarthy 10th overall in 2024 and he missed last season following knee surgery. Daniel Jones, a former first-round pick released last November by the New York Giants, spent the final two-plus months on Minnesota’s roster and could come back to compete with McCarthy.

In addition to the pending Smith trade, which can become official March 12, the Seahawks are navigating massive turnover on offense. Wide receiver Tyler Lockett was released and Seattle gave DK Metcalf permission to seek a trade.

–Field Level Media