Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is emphatically proving that last year’s breakout campaign with the Minnesota Vikings wasn’t a one-hit wonder.

Seahawks star JSN named NFC Offensive Player of the Month

Darnold has had an excellent start to his Seahawks tenure this fall, completing 68.2% of his passes for 1,754 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions through seven games.

He’s been among the NFL’s most efficient quarterbacks, averaging a league-high 9.1 yards per pass attempt. He ranks seventh in ESPN’s QBR metric, ninth in passing yards per game and 10th in completion rate.

And he’s helped lead the Seahawks to an impressive 5-2 start that has them looking like a legitimate NFC contender.

“Sam’s playing at a really high level,” ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky told Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy on Thursday. “I think he’s playing just as good as he did last year when he was in MVP conversations.”

What’s been the key to Darnold’s success?

Orlovsky, a former NFL quarterback who was a  “Monday Night Football” color analyst for the Seahawks’ win over the Houston Texans on Oct. 20, said it all stems from Darnold’s footwork.

“(He’s) really allowing his feet to drive his decision-making and timing,” Orlovsky said. “And the obsession with understanding the importance of that, … and how it marries in this scheme with (offensive coordinator) Klint Kubiak, is really a mandate. It’s a foundational piece.

“And so I think that he’s mastered his footwork. He’s mastered the timing and the rhythm of that. And I think that’s allowed aggression.”

Touchdown JSN! 61 yards.

SEAvsJAX on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/2RqhCoOuX4

— NFL (@NFL) October 12, 2025

Despite playing in an offense with one of the highest rushing rates in the league, Darnold has excelled in the limited chances he gets to take downfield shots. He has completed 17 passes that traveled at least 20 yards downfield, which is tied for second-most in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. And he ranks third in the league with a 68% completion rate on such throws.

“In this league, you don’t get a ton of opportunity to throw the ball downfield when you’re an on-time quarterback,” Orlovsky said. “There’s two or three a game. And to be really good individually and to have a good offense and play winning football, you’ve gotta hit ’em when you take ’em, because you don’t get a ton of opportunity to do it. And so that’s probably been the area that’s been one of his greatest growths over the last year.

“I’m not surprised that Sam’s playing so well, and I would fully expect that to continue.”

Listen to the full conversation with ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune into Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

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